Good Luck Kiss
by earthprincess4
Summary: *Fandom4Preemies* Emmett, Bella, Alice, & Rose go to a minor league baseball game to watch Jasper play. While there Emmett buys his sister Bella a date from the players being auctioned off for charity. She's not happy but goes anyway. Edward is her date
1. Chapter 1

**Good Luck Kiss**

**My Fandom for Preemies contribution**

**By: earthprincess4**

**A/N: Sorry this took so long to post. It took me a little longer than I expected to write the second half. But it's done and complete now. This is just a quick, cute, little story with a little drama at the end. I hope everyone who read it in the FfP compilation will come back to read the second half.**

**Thanks goes out to bzeemomof4 and mama23keiki for helping me out with this story. I love you both so much, no matter what.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the characters involved.**

**Personal Note on Fandom for Preemies: First off I wanted to say how thankful I am to the people who put this fundraiser together. I think it's a wonderful cause and I'm proud to be a part of it. Premature births and miscarriages have been something I've seen in my family many times. I myself suffered a miscarriage at 11 weeks. It was the most devastating thing I've ever had to go through. I commend any and all who have been touched by prematurity or miscarriage, in any way and survived it.**

**I dedicate this story to the children in my family, who were lost to us by a premature birth**

**Jonathon, Marcus, Timothy, Kaleb, Kasey, Kalaya, and the numerous unnamed babies lost through miscarriages.**

**And the ones who survived, after being born prematurely**

**Kevin, Jon, and Andrew**

**Good Luck Kiss**

**BPOV**

"Let's go," my brother, Emmett, called from the car. He honked a couple times trying to hurry us up. "We're going to be late for this game if you girls don't hurry up."

"We're coming. Stop being such an ass," I yelled out the window. He laid on the horn, pissing me off even more.

The three of us sighed, glancing around the room at each other. This is what we get for living with him.

My best friend, Alice and I, along with my brother and his new wife, Rose, lived together in a fairly large apartment in downtown Seattle. It wasn't exactly the easiest arrangement considering my brother had to live with three girls, but he very rarely complained.

"Come on. How long does it take to put lipstick on for a fucking baseball game?" he whined, leaning against the door of the bathroom where the three of us were crowded in. Did I mention he very rarely complained? He did have his moments.

"Babe, stop being a baby," Rose scolded. "We'll be ready in a few more minutes." He huffed, crossing his arms while he watched us finish.

"Do you think I should change my outfit?" Alice wondered.

"No," Emmett answered. "You all look fine. Jasper isn't going to care what you look like. He's going to care more about you being there to support him."

"I agree, Alice. Jasper's not going to care. Let's go before he thinks you stood him up," I suggested.

Rose sprayed her hair one last time, and Alice stuck the last earring in her ear. I had been ready for a while but pretended to be fixing my hair for the hundredth time just to fit in. I wasn't a prissy girl at all. Growing up with Emmett and my dad prevented me from being a girly girl. I was very much a tomboy and never had a problem with being who I was.

Finally, we left our apartment and headed towards Everett, Washington.

Alice and Jasper had been dating for about six months now, and Jasper just recently made the local minor league baseball team. To say he was excited would be an understatement. This was huge to him. We all couldn't be more proud of him. We've attended as many games as possible. Alice never missed one even if no one came with her. He didn't always get a lot of playing time, but we were there supporting him anyway.

We pulled into the parking lot and rushed to the gates. We were running late, and Alice always liked to blow Jasper a kiss before he started. She said it was for luck. Even if it was sort of disgusting to watch, it was still cute.

We took our seats just as they were beginning the national anthem. Right on cue, after the national anthem was sung, Jasper looked up to our seats and Alice blew him a kiss. He smiled bashfully and ducked into the dugout. It was their normal routine.

The first half of the game was rather boring. We got more entertainment from the jumbotron with some of the players auctioning themselves off for charity. All the proceeds of the auction, as well as T-shirt and hat sales for the night went to charity. Some of the guys' speeches were funny. They talked about where they were from and what they liked to do for fun. Some made a big joke about it, saying things like they have never gone out on a date or never kissed a girl and wanted someone to buy them to fulfill this mission. I think we all knew most of them were lying, but it was still entertaining.

"I think we should buy one of these guys," Emmett announced.

We all began laughing at his suggestion.

"Are you planning to go on a date with some guy behind my back?" Rose mocked.

"No, I'm thinking we could buy a date for Bella."

"What!" I sputtered, spitting some of my soda out.

"Come on, Bella. You need a guy in your life. You're twenty-three and have never been in a serious relationship. What if you meet mister right from buying a night with one of these guys?" Emmett asked.

"First of all, Emmett, you're insane. Second, I'm not going to meet mister right from a blind date. I'm not doing it and in no way are you going to be able to convince me to bid on one of those guys," I replied angrily.

It's true, I've never had a serious relationship with anyone, but mostly it was my choice. All the guys in high school were immature and only wanted one thing which I wasn't willing to give them. Once they realized that, they stopped asking me out. In college, I was more focused on practicing for concerts, so I didn't have time to date much. Recently, I was accepted into the Seattle Orchestra. It was a huge accomplishment and something I was extremely proud of. It's what I loved to do, and I was so happy to be part of it. Guys were the last thing on my mind.

"It might be good for you to get out for a night, Bella," Rose added.

"Yeah, you know, most of the guys on the team are really nice. I could help you pick one out," Alice suggested.

"You are all insane. I'm not going on a blind date with some random guy who's auctioning himself off. Let's drop this before I get angry."

They dropped it, and we enjoyed the rest of the game quietly. When Jasper was up to bat, we would all cheer and call his name. Alice was the loudest. We knew he got a rush from the recognition.

"I'm going to get something to eat," Emmett announced. "Does anyone want anything?"

"Buy me some ice cream," Rose ordered.

"I'd love a bottle of water," Alice added.

"Bella, what about you?" Emmett asked.

"I'm fine, thanks," I answered.

It took him forever to get back. He said the line for the ice cream was extremely long since there were only two people behind the counter. He missed most of the second half due to waiting in line for Rose's ice cream.

After the final play and the team losing, Alice headed down to the locker rooms to wait for Jasper. It was a typical ritual at every game. We would head home while Alice would wait for Jasper with the rest of the wives and girlfriends outside the locker room. He always needed coddling after a loss.

It was a late game, so by the time we got home I was exhausted and headed straight to bed. I had a rehearsal the following day, and I wanted to be well rested for it.

Days later, as I was practicing, my phone began to ring. I checked the caller ID and didn't recognize the number. I considered ignoring it. If it was something important, they'd leave a message. However, I was always getting calls from random people who would inform me when my brother got hurt on the job, so I decided to answer it, just in case. He worked in construction, and for whatever reason, he was always getting hurt. Sometimes I wondered why he still had a job.

"Hello," I answered.

"Uh… I'm looking for Isabella Swan," the voice informed.

"This is her," I replied. I was pretty sure this was going to be one of those calls about Emmett being hurt. They always started out this way. I always wondered why they didn't call Rose. She was, after all, his wife now.

"Hi, my name is Edward Cullen," he greeted. "Apparently you bid on me in the auction at the last baseball game, and you were the winning bidder."

"There must be some sort of mistake. I didn't bid on anyone."

"The paper I received said an Emmett Swan paid on behalf of Isabella Swan. The bid was paid this morning, and I was passed on your name and phone number. I'm supposed to take you out as part of the terms you, or I guess Emmett, paid for," he explained.

I sighed, closing my eyes in frustration. Internally, I was planning Emmett's death. I couldn't believe he did this to me.

"Look, I'm really sorry, but I had no idea my brother did this, and I warned him not to do it in the first place."

"It's only one date," he interrupted. "It's for a good cause, and I'm required to take you out in acceptance to the donation. I'd hate for the charity to lose some of the proceeds they received at the game because someone refused to go on a date with one of the players."

"Fine," I agreed reluctantly. "When and where?"

"Tomorrow night is good for me if it works for you," he suggested.

"Tomorrow night is fine."

"Where should I pick you up?" he asked.

"I'll meet you wherever you plan to take me," I insisted.

"Okay, um…meet me at Il Terrazzo Carmine around seven. I'll be wearing my baseball cap, so you know who I am."

"Alright, I'll see you then." I hung up the phone, infuriated with my brother. I couldn't believe he went behind my back to do this. He was in big trouble when he got home.

Alice brought Jasper over later in the day to find me scrubbing the bathroom floors.

"Oh no, what happened?" Alice asked.

"What do you mean, what happened?" I asked in an angry tone. I had my suspicions about whether or not Alice and Rose were in on this too.

"When you're mad or upset about something, you clean like a mad woman. Something must be up."

"Did you know anything about this guy Emmett bid on at the game?" I asked.

"He bid on someone?" she asked in a shocked tone.

"Yeah, he did. The guy called today, and I have to go on a date with him tomorrow night. I'm not happy about this at all. I can't believe he did this to me. I'm seriously considering breaking his arm."

"Come on, Bella. It's only one night. I'm sure you'll have fun," Alice assured.

"Who did he buy for you?" Jasper asked.

"Uh," I thought about it for a moment, trying to remember the guy's name. "Edward something."

"Edward Cullen," Jasper clarified.

"I think that's what his name was."

Jasper and Alice smirked, giving each other a look.

"What?" I asked, concerned by their looks.

"Nothing," Alice assured, trying to hold the smile back.

"No, something's up. What's wrong with him? Does he have a third eye or something?" I asked, terrified he had something wrong with him.

"Funny, Bella," Alice mocked. "You'll like Edward. He's really sweet. He's a little shy but really nice."

"Yeah, I think you two will get along great," Jasper added.

I didn't believe either of them. Something was up.

Moments later, I heard Rose and Emmett walk in. I met them out in the living room, with my hands on my hips, waiting for some sort of explanation from my brother.

"Hey, Bells. Did you have any interesting phone calls today?" he asked, holding in the chuckle. Everyone else in the room laughed.

"Funny, Emmett. Did you forget me telling you I had no intention on bidding on any of the guys?"

"You didn't bid on any of them. I did," he corrected.

I glared at him. "Then you can be the one to go on this date. I'm not going." I turned around in a rush and walked to my room, slamming the door behind me.

I felt so betrayed by the people I trusted the most in my life. I couldn't believe they were all cracking jokes at my expense and pretending like this was perfectly fine. I'd never been on a blind date before and the thought of meeting a stranger for dinner was making me sick to my stomach. It didn't matter if they all thought he was a nice guy or not. The fact of the matter was I didn't know a thing about him. I'm a shy person by nature and according to Alice he's pretty shy too. What are we supposed to talk about during dinner? I think we'll probably both sit there for two hours in an awkward silence.

The following night, Alice and Rose took to picking out my dress and fixing my hair and makeup. I felt like they were going way overboard just for a simple date, but they insisted I give them free reign to do whatever they wanted.

Alice picked out a short, strapless, dark blue cocktail dress which was a little too revealing for my taste. Rose pinned my hair up on the sides and curled the ends in ringlets down my back. At least they listened to me when I asked them to go easy on the makeup.

"Edward likes blue," Alice informed. "He also doesn't like girls who where a lot of makeup. We need to keep you as natural as possible, but still highlight your features."

"How do you know so much about what he likes? And why exactly are you telling me all this? It's not like we're going to see each other after tonight. This is a onetime thing, done only for charity," I insisted.

"You never know, Bella," Rose said with a smile. I rolled my eyes at both of them. All I wanted was this night to be over, so I could go back to being myself – simple, plain, harp playing Bella.

As soon as they released me from the room of torture, I went to sit in the living room until it was time to leave.

"Where is he taking you?" Rose asked.

"Il Terrazzo Carmine," I answered.

"Wow, he's going all out, isn't he?" Jasper commented.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Il Terrazzo Carmine is a very expensive restaurant. On our salary, I'm surprised he can afford something so nice," Jasper explained.

"Why is he going all out?" I wondered.

"He probably wants to impress you," Alice answered. "He's the kind of guy to do the grand gesture to peak your interest."

I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily. "If any of you think this is going to go any farther than tonight, you are all very much mistaken. I'm only doing this because it's for a good cause. After tonight, I'll probably never talk to him again."

"Like I said before, we'll see," Rose pondered.

"Cocky ball players are not my type," I insisted.

"Hey, I resent that comment," Jasper complained.

"As do I," Alice agreed. "Jasper is not a cocky ball player and neither is Edward."

"We'll see."

I wanted to scream at all of them with their silly little hints of something more happening tonight. Nothing was going to happen. Baseball players, especially ones I didn't know, were not my type.

"Are you ready to go?" Emmett asked. I nodded my head, trying to push the nausea away.

I climbed in the car and Emmett drove me across town to the restaurant.

"Once I call, you better come get me. I don't want any excuses, making it possible for him to give me a ride home. I'll give him two hours tops and then I'm leaving," I ordered.

"If you call, I'll come straight over," Emmett promised. "Have fun and don't be such a stuck up bitch to him."

"Excuse me?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You've been a little ungrateful about this whole thing. I spent a lot of money to get you this date. The least you could do is be nice to the guy. It's not like he asked for this either, but he's being a good sport about it and treating you to a very nice dinner. Smile and talk to him. Don't act like this is the worst thing to happen to you."

I smiled condescendingly. "Are you happy now?"

"He's going to hate you."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure he will." I opened the door and climbed out.

"Bella," Emmett called. "Relax."

I took a deep breath and walked to the door. At the hostess' podium, I told her who I was meeting and she led me through the crowded room towards a table in the far corner. I spotted his baseball hat instantly. He stood out like a sore thumb. As soon as he saw me, he stood to his feet. I could tell he was nervous. The hostess placed two menus on the table and left.

We stood there in an awkward silence for a moment, glancing back and forth from each other. He quickly removed his hat and placed it on the table.

"I'm Edward," he introduced, extending his hand to mine.

I shook his hand and smiled up at him. "Bella."

We stood for another moment, trying to decide what was next. He sighed and shook his head before walking over to the other side of the table and pulled out my chair. "Sorry," he apologized.

"It's fine. Thank you," I accepted, taking a seat across from him.

He walked back around to the other side of the table and sat down. I could feel his eyes on me, which made me a little uncomfortable. I picked up the menu and held it up in front of me to hide from his gaze. I studied the menu while I peaked over the top of the menu to look at him. He was a decent looking guy. He wore a pair of slacks with a dark button up shirt and tie. There was a tan leather jacket hanging on the back of the chair. He had dark bronze hair and bright, green eyes. There wasn't a third eye at least. He studied his menu the same way I did, and on more than one occasion, he caught me looking at him. I knew every time he caught me, my cheeks were probably turning bright red from embarrassment. At one point, I was sure I heard him chuckling.

"Good evening," the waiter greeted. "Can I start either of you off with a glass of wine?"

"I would love one," I quickly replied.

Edward ordered a glass as well, before we ordered out entrée. He also ordered the specialty antipasto platter to start us off with.

"Are you sure this isn't too much?" I asked after the waiter left with our order. "Jasper said you guys don't get paid much, and this is a pretty expensive restaurant."

"Don't worry about it," he insisted.

"Okay," I said quietly under my breath. I was glad I hadn't eaten at all today. I didn't want to waste any food, considering he was paying quite a bit for it.

"How long have you been playing for the Aquasox?" I asked, trying to start up a friendly conversation.

"This is my second year," he answered.

"Did you play in high school and college?" I asked.

"Yeah, I've played since I was really little."

"Did you always want to be a ball player for a living?"

"Pretty much," he replied.

The conversation went dead again. I didn't know what else to talk to him about, and he didn't seem very chatty anyway.

"So, you know Jasper and Alice, right?" he asked. Finally, he spoke without being prompted.

I smiled. "Yeah, I've known Alice since we were kids. We've been inseparable for most of our lives. Jasper is much like a brother."

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"I have a brother, Emmett. He recently got married," I replied. "What about you? Do you have any siblings?"

"No, I'm an only child."

Dead silence again.

Thankfully the drinks and antipasto platter came out to distract us from mundane conversation.

The waiter explained what was on the platter. There was fresh mozzarella with basil and tomatoes, smoked salmon, and calamari. I sipped my wine before gingerly poking a mozzarella and tomato, placing it on my plate in front of me. Edward followed suit and added a few things to his plate.

The mozzarella and tomatoes were really good, as was the salmon. I was a little nervous about trying the calamari. It really didn't look appealing to me in any way.

"You know you can have more if you like," he informed. I glanced up at him, knowing what he meant. He wanted me to try the calamari. I gave him a weak smile, reaching over and taking the calamari on my plate. I sat it down in front of me, staring at it in horror. Calamari was squid. I couldn't fathom eating squid. I didn't want to be rude though. I sucked it up and cut off a small piece of the squid. I raised it to my mouth and stuck the piece in my mouth. I wanted to gag as soon as I put it in my mouth, but I tried really hard to chew it up and not look like a complete idiot.

Suddenly, Edward began laughing hysterically. I glanced up at him with questioning eyes.

"You don't like it do you?" he asked. I shook my head, unable to talk with the squid still in my mouth. I'm sure I had the goofiest look on my face from trying to chew this thing.

"Spit it out, please," he urged. I quickly grabbed my napkin and spit it out into the napkin. I was sure he probably thought I was the most repulsive person he's ever met. You don't spit food out into a napkin on a date, yet I just did.

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

"For what?" he asked, laughing at me.

"I'm sure watching me spit it out in my napkin was pretty disgusting to watch."

"Actually, watching you put that thing in your mouth was more disgusting than watching you spit it out."

"Then why did you make me eat it?" I asked.

"I didn't make you eat it. All I said was you were welcome to more. You're the one who chose to put the squid on your plate."

"I didn't want to be rude and not eat. This food is expensive. I don't want it to go to waste."

"Like I said, don't worry about it," he insisted with a smile.

"Well, since I had to suffer through eating that, I think you should too. It's only fair," I dared, grinning at him.

He glared in a playful way across the table. He picked up the largest piece of calamari with his fingers and popped it in his mouth. I watched in horror as he chewed it up and swallowed. I playfully gagged after he was done.

He laughed. "I think I have one up on you. I actually swallowed."

"You can remain on top for all I care. I'm not putting that thing back in my mouth."

"Are you not fond of salty things?" he asked, laughing.

"Not things that have a head I have to look at," I replied.

He smirked. "So, if your eyes were closed and maybe if it's dark, you'd consider swallowing something salty?"

Realizing how this conversation sounded, my face heated up in embarrassment.

"I think this conversation is getting a little inappropriate, don't you?"

He was still trying really hard not to laugh.

"We're only talking about squid, right? How is squid inappropriate?" he asked, still smirking.

I bit my bottom lip, trying not to speak anymore. It seemed like everything I said was wrong.

"When's your next game?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Tomorrow," he laughed.

He reached for the antipasto plate and placed it at the edge of the table which I was grateful for. I didn't want to look at the calamari anymore.

"What do you do during the off season?" I wondered.

"Whatever I can find," he replied. "Typically, I work odd jobs around the city. It's hard to keep a job when you need about five to six months off. The coach doesn't like us working any other jobs during the season. Occasionally, if I can make it work, I still umpire for high school or middle school teams. As long as it doesn't interfere with practices or games, it doesn't seem to be a problem."

"When did you know being a baseball player was what you wanted to do with your life?"

"When I was five," he answered.

"Really? Five years old and you knew?"

He nodded his head and hummed a response. "My dad took me to my first Mariners game, and I knew this is what I wanted to do."

"Your parents must be really proud," I theorized.

His face dropped, and he had a sullen look about him. "I'm sure they would if they were still here," he stated.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," I breathed in regret. I placed my hand on his, squeezing lightly in sympathy. I watched his eyes focus in on my hand covering his. I left my hand on his for a few seconds more before removing it. I didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable.

"It's alright. It happened a long time ago. I was only ten."

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Car accident," he replied matter-of-factly. "It was a head on collision and killed them both instantly. It took me a long time to get over it. I was supposed to be in the car with them. It was right after a championship game, and they wanted to take me out to dinner to celebrate, but I begged them to let me go to a friend's house instead. They gave in and later that night my Grandma showed up at the door." He laced his fingers together over his plate and furrowed his brow. I could tell he was uncomfortable talking about this. "I don't think I'll ever forget that night. It's definitely the hardest thing I've ever gone through."

"I'm so sorry, Edward. I can't even imagine what you went through losing both of your parents in such a horrendous way."

He took a deep breath and looked up at me with a smile. He was trying to push the thoughts away.

The food was delivered moments later, making the uncomfortable moment a little less tense.

"What did you get again?" he asked, staring over at my plate.

"Uh, the chicken filled with ricotta & spinach butter," I replied.

"It looks really good and smells good too."

"Do you want to try a bite?" I offered.

"Sure," he accepted with enthusiasm.

I cut off a large bite, stabbing it with my fork and leaned across the table, feeding him from my fork. I had yet to try it, but the look on his face told me it must be really good.

"Damn, I should have ordered the chicken. That's really good," he declared.

"As long as it's not calamari, I think I'll like it," I laughed. I cut off a piece and tried it. It was good. I don't think I've ever tasted anything so good before.

"Can I ask you some questions now?" he wondered. I looked up at him, waiting for him to ask.

"What do you do for a living?"

"I normally don't tell people what I do on a first date," I explained.

"Why is it something bad?" he wondered. "You aren't a stripper or a drug dealer or something, are you?"

I scoffed at his question. "No, it's nothing like that. I just don't like telling people right away what it is I do."

"Okay, tell me about your family then?"

"Well, I already told you I have a brother. My dad is the police chief in Forks, Washington. We grew up in Forks with my dad. My mom remarried a few years ago and lives in Arizona now. I don't see her much anymore."

"Why?"

"No reason really," I replied. "It's just hard to get down there now that I'm on my own and need to support myself."

"Why did your brother buy me for you in the auction?" he asked. My face turned red again.

"During the game, we were getting a kick out of the videos of the players who were auctioning themselves off. Some of the videos were quite funny. Then out of the blue, Emmett suggested I go bid on one of the guys because I needed a guy in my life. I refused and told them all to drop it. Thinking back, I'm pretty sure when he told us he was going to get something to eat is when he did it. I was actually very mad at him after you called."

"Did you not want to come?"

"Honestly, no. I thought you were going to be some cocky ball player who talked about how great you are all night."

He laughed. "I might be cocky in some ways but not when it comes to playing ball."

"Too much information," I laughed.

"You take everything I say the wrong way," he accused, laughing at my insinuation.

"Yeah, I don't think so."

We laughed together, trying to take bites of our food in between laughing.

"Are you still wishing you didn't have to come tonight?" he wondered nonchalantly.

"No," I answered with a smile. "I'm glad I did." He smiled in return, looking down at his plate bashfully.

We finished our meal and he paid the bill. I tried to offer to help with the bill, but he refused. He walked me outside, and I realized I hadn't called Emmett to come get me. I pulled out my phone, preparing to call him when Edward interrupted me.

"I'm not ready for this night to end just yet," he informed. "Would you like to go somewhere else with me?"

"Sure," I accepted with a smile. He walked me over to his car, which was a silver Volvo, and opened the door for me. I climbed in the passenger seat, and he ran across to the driver's side.

We drove across town to a batting cage. At first, I thought he was kidding. This wasn't exactly what I had in mind for continuing the date. I still followed him in though. He paid for two rounds and picked out a bat. I felt very out of place in the dress I was wearing.

"Do you want to go first?" he asked as he shrugged out of his jacket.

"No, you go," I insisted.

I watched as ball after ball came flying towards him. One after the other, he smacked them across the field. He was fascinating to watch. I could see the passion he had for the game. While he was hitting balls, I felt my phone vibrate with a new text. I pulled it out of my purse to see who it was.

**-It's 9, and I haven't heard from you. Do you still need me to get you?-**

**-No, I'm fine ****-**

I typed out the message quickly and placed my phone back in my purse.

Once he finished, he reached out his hand towards me with a smile on his face. I looked at him skeptically.

"I don't think I can do this?"

"Of course you can," he assured with a smile. I took his hand and he pulled me into the cage.

"The balls move so fast," I worried. He laughed.

I smacked him across the chest. "Who exactly is taking everything the wrong way tonight?" I accused.

"Touché," he argued.

"I thought so."

"Come on," he urged. "I turned down the speed so the balls won't move so fast." I glared up at him. He handed me the bat and showed me where to stand. "Place your feet about shoulder length apart." I did as he said. He stood behind me and wrapped his arms around me. He placed his hands around mine and guided me to where I was supposed to hold the bat. I had butterflies building in my stomach as his hands clasped around mine and his warm breath hit the back of my neck. Hitting a baseball was the last thing I had on my mind. My heart was pounding with anticipation. He moved in closer to me. The warmth of his body pressed up against mine. Before I could even think about anything else, a ball flew towards me. I squealed in fear and closed my eyes. Edward guided my hands, and even with my eyes closed, he made it possible for me to hit the ball. All I heard was the smack of the bat and directly after, Edward laughing hysterically next to me.

"Shut up, it's not funny. I'm not very good at sports. I never have been," I argued.

I dropped the bat at my side and stood over the plate in irritation while he continued to laugh.

Suddenly, the look on his face changed from humor to fear. "Bella watch out!" he shouted. He didn't even give me a second to comprehend what was happening before he flew at me and knocked me to the ground. I felt the whoosh of the ball against my head. It barely missed hitting me.

I looked up into Edward's green eyes wanting so badly for him to kiss me. He stared down at me, breathing heavily. I could tell he wanted to kiss me, but for whatever reason he wouldn't. He rolled to his back, sighing in relief. We laid on the ground, trying to calm down from this scary experience.

"Bella, you can't stand over the plate when the machine is running okay," he informed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's alright. It just scared me. You could have been hit and seriously injured. I'd rather not spend the rest of our night together in the hospital."

I remained flat on my back, too afraid to move. I watched as all the balls went flying over me and hit the back wall. I assumed all the balls were gone when Edward stood up. I sat up on the ground, dusting myself off and trying to fix my hair as best I could. Edward extended a hand to help me up. I took it and pulled myself to my feet.

"Are you alright?" he asked in a soothing voice.

"I'm fine." I walked out of the cage and sat down on the bench. Edward cleaned up the area and grabbed the bat. He picked up his jacket off the bench and reached for my hand. He placed his jacket across my shoulders before he led me out of the batting cage and walked me to the car.

"Maybe the batting cage wasn't the greatest idea," Edward reasoned, sitting in the driver's seat with his hands in his lap. I could clearly see he was still shaken up by what almost happened. I think he was more worried about it than I was.

"Edward it's okay. I didn't get hurt. I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention."

"You don't need to be sorry. It was my fault. I shouldn't have been laughing," he interrupted. "It's the most important rule in baseball: never take your eye off the ball. I guess I was having too much fun to realize I still had to pay attention.

"It's not a big deal. I'm fine, you're fine. Let it go. I don't want this to ruin our night together," I insisted.

He looked over at me with a forced smile and nodded his head.

"Are you willing to go somewhere else with me?" he asked. "This place, I promise is a safe zone…at least I hope so."

I giggled, nodding my head. "I'd love to go somewhere else with you."

He started up the car and drove out of the parking lot.

Moments later, we pulled into an apartment building. It was very tall and looked like an older building.

"What is this place?" I asked as he helped me out of the car.

"This is where I live," he answered.

Even though I knew I probably shouldn't be going to his apartment, I still continued to walk next to him. Right now, I would probably stay the night with him. I started running mental notes in my head. Did I shave my legs? Of course I did. I am wearing a dress. When's the last time I had a pedicure? Two weeks ago. I should be okay. What about breath mints? Did I have any in my purse? I was pretty sure I did. Butterflies were building in my stomach at the thought of what I was about to do. Was I really going to sleep with a guy I've only known for a few hours? This was so bad. This was not me. But I really liked him—much more than I ever thought I would.

"If you think I'm going up to your apartment so you can ravish me, you are very much mistaken," I teased. Even though I intended to say it as a joke, I really was curious if that's what he planned to do. I needed to be prepared.

He chuckled. "As appealing as that sounds, I'm not, for two reasons. First, I live with two other guys from the team, and we wouldn't have any privacy. I definitely don't want you to meet either of them just yet. And second, I'm not that kind of guy."

"Then what are we doing?" I wondered as he opened the main doors to the building.

"You'll see."

I followed him to the end of the hall and into the elevator. Once we reached our floor, he led me down another hallway and into a small dark room. I got a little more nervous being in here with him than I did at the thought of going up to his room. He grabbed my hand and led me up on a box and out a small window along the wall. There was a ledge to step out on and a narrow path leading onto the roof. We were up so high I could look down and see all the cars and the beautiful lights from the city. It was breathtaking. I could feel the warmth of Edward's body behind me. I wished I had enough courage to lean back against him. I wanted him to put his arms around me and hold me close to him while we looked out on the city. Unfortunately, neither of us touched the other.

"This is where I come before every game. It's like my meditation spot," he explained. "I lie on the floor and stare up at the sky. Something about the cool breeze and the distant sounds of the city down below calm me. It's even better at night because sometimes I can even make out the stars in the sky."

"It's beautiful up here," I admired. I expected him to be looking out at the city like I was, but when I turned around his eyes were fixated on me. I ducked my head and smiled bashfully.

I heard his feet move from behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him walk over to the middle of the roof and lay down. I walked over and joined him on the floor. We stared up at the sky, breathing in the cool summer air in silence. It was one of those moments where silence worked perfectly and wasn't awkward. It was peaceful.

I heard my phone vibrating in my purse again, so I took it out as quietly as possible without interrupting the moment.

There were three missed texts. One from Rose saying I told you so. One from Alice saying she's glad I'm having a good time and can't wait to hear all about it. The latest one was from Emmett who was starting to get worried and wanted me to call him.

_**-It's already eleven. Are you sure you're okay? Call me ASAP.-**_

I sighed at my brother's overprotective behavior.

"Is something wrong?" Edward asked, breaking the silence.

"No, it's just my roommates. My brother's starting to get worried. I need to call him real quick to reassure him I'm fine."

"If you need to go, I can drive you home," he offered.

"No, I don't need to go yet. He just needs to hear from me directly. I'll be right back."

I stood to my feet with phone in hand and walked to the edge of the building. I dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up.

"Hello," I heard three voices say in unison. I rolled my eyes realizing they had me on speakerphone.

"Hi, I'm just calling to let you all know I'm fine, and I'll be home in a little while. There's no need to check up on me. I'll have Edward give me a ride home after we're done."

"What are you two doing?" Rose asked suspiciously.

"He brought me back to his place."

"What?" Emmett shouted.

"Relax, Em. We're actually not in his apartment, we're on the roof. It's amazing up here, looking down on the city. I'm having a really good time with him."

"Aww, our little Bella is falling in love," Alice cooed.

I laughed. "Alice, calm down. It's only a first date. I'm not falling in love. I don't even know if this is going to go any further than tonight. All I'm saying is I'm having fun," I clarified.

"Well, be careful. I don't want to get a call from the police informing me some maniac psycho pushed my little sister off the top of a roof to her death," Emmett warned.

"Who exactly paid for this date?" I accused. "I believe if I get shoved off the roof, you have no one but yourself to blame."

He didn't have any way to dispute since he knew I was right.

"Just be careful, Bella," Alice warned.

"I'm fine, really."

"Then get back to your date. We'll hold Emmett at bay," Rose assured.

I hung up and walked back across the roof to lie next to him again.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," I assured.

We lied on the ground, staring up at the sky for a while longer, not saying a word. I could tell he enjoyed the peace and quiet of the night.

"Can I ask you a question?" I wondered.

"Are you wondering if I'm planning to shove you off the roof?" he countered.

"What… Did you… Were you eavesdropping?"

He turned his head to look at me with a smirk on his face.

"It was kind of hard not to hear," he replied. "I'm glad you're having a good time though."

"I am," I declared.

"So, what was it you wanted to ask me?" he prodded.

"I was just curious why you signed up to do the auction? I mean I know it's for a good cause and all, but knowing you're a minor league baseball player, and you don't make a lot of money, why take someone you don't know to such a fancy place for dinner?"

"Did you not like the restaurant?" he asked.

"I didn't say that. I just think you probably spent at least a hundred dollars tonight. I expected some cheesy, burger joint or something much cheaper. Why did you take me to a place I don't think you could afford when this was all supposed to be for charity?"

He sighed. "To be honest, I didn't want to do the auction. It's not my thing to take strange girls I've never met out on dates. It wasn't required for us to sign up, but if you weren't married, or have a steady girlfriend, it was highly recommended you sign up. In other words, if you don't sign up, expect to have some repercussions for it. It's not like I didn't want to help out in raising money, it's just not me." He paused for a moment before speaking again. "Although, once I found out it was you I was taking out, I was actually really glad I did it."

"Wait, what do you mean once you found out it was me? I've never met you until tonight. How did you know who I was?"

"I've seen you a few times in the stands with Alice. We all know Alice," he laughed. "I finally got up the nerve to ask Jasper who you were. I tried to make it sound as nonchalant as possible, but I think he could tell I was interested. He tried to talk me in to asking you out, but I'm not the type of guy who can walk up to a girl I've never met and ask her out. When I was given the information about who I had to take out, I had every intention of taking the winner to a chain restaurant and trying to make the best of it. But when I saw it was you, I wanted it to be special. I wanted to impress you. At first, I wondered if maybe you had been admiring me from a far as well and that's why you bought me." He turned his head back up to the sky, looking away from me. "I guess my theory was wrong since your brother is the one who bid on me for you."

"Edward, I wouldn't doubt if my brother and Jasper, maybe even Alice and Rose, set us up."

"You think?" he questioned, turning back to me with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm almost positive they did with the way they've been acting," I answered. "I'm also very glad they did."

He smiled a huge, bright smile. He down cast his eyes bashfully. I wanted him to kiss me, but he wouldn't. It seemed pretty obvious he liked me. I was definitely trying to make it clear I liked him. Why wasn't he kissing me? We'd had a few perfect moments during the night, yet he still hadn't. Maybe he didn't like me as much as I thought he did.

"How many girls have you brought up here?" I asked, trying to make friendly conversation.

"None," he answered. "You're the first."

"Why am I the first?" I wondered.

He shrugged. "I thought you might get the same peacefulness I get from being up here."

"I think I do. I like it up here, especially with you."

We stared into each other's eyes. I could tell he was contemplating kissing me or not. I watched him wet his lips and glance back and forth between my eyes and mouth. Just when I thought he was going to, I felt a drop of rain on my face. I looked up at the sky, as did Edward. Within seconds rain began pouring down on top of us. Edward hopped to his feet and helped me to mine. We ran across the roof, hand in hand, towards the small window.

Edward crawled through the window first and put his hand out to help me. I took his hand and placed one foot through the window.

"The step is right below the window," Edward guided. I felt him place his hand on my hip to support my way through the window. I placed my foot down on the edge and crawled into the darkened room. I held on to Edward's shoulder to support myself down.

As soon as I was on solid ground, I felt Edward's hand hold my hip a little tighter. I heard his feet rustle below us as he moved closer to me. I looked up into his eyes, through the dark, hoping he was finally doing what I wanted him to do. He cupped the side of my wet cheek with his hand and leaned in nervously. I parted my lips, silently letting him know it was okay. His lips were millimeters away from mine. I could feel his nervous breaths against my mouth. I tilted my head, giving him better access. Very gently, his lips pressed against mine. It was a sweet and simple kiss. It wasn't enough for me. I leaned in to him and claimed his mouth with mine. I moved my lips with his and wrapped my arms around his neck. I felt his arms snake around my waist, holding me flush against his body. I moaned into his mouth as our kiss continued to become more and more intense.

The kiss broke when it became necessary for both of us to breathe. My eyes remained closed as I breathed him in. He smelled of cologne and rain. I liked his smell. He leaned his forehead against mine, loosening his grip around me slightly.

"I hope that was okay. I've wanted to kiss you all night," he admitted.

I opened my eyes, meeting his. "It's more than okay. I've wanted you to kiss me all night."

We both smiled and leaned in to kiss some more. I liked this small, dark room now. I had no idea how long we remained embraced in our kiss, but it definitely didn't seem long enough. Eventually, he did insist on taking me home so my brother didn't come hunt him down.

We pulled up in front of my apartment building, and he opened my door to help me out. We slowly walked up to my door. I honestly didn't want the night to end. We lingered on the steps for a few moments, neither of us willing to say goodbye.

"I had a really good time tonight," I revealed, breaking the silence.

"I'm glad. And thank you," he said.

"For what?" I asked curiously.

"For being a part of one of the most amazing nights of my life," he declared.

I felt my face heat up from embarrassment. I couldn't stop smiling.

"I'd really like to see you again. Would it be alright if I called you?" he asked.

I smiled. I was elated he wanted to see me again. "Of course you can," I replied.

He leaned in to give me a goodbye kiss. I held onto his shirt, making it last just a little bit longer.

I watched as he walked back out to his car and drove away before I went in the apartment.

I couldn't keep the goofy grin off my face as I made my way through the door. It was late, and I expected everyone would be in bed by now. Unfortunately, they were all sitting up waiting for me.

Alice took one look at my face and started in on her commentary.

"Oh yeah, she's in love," she decided. "Emmett, you owe me twenty bucks."

"Whatever, you don't even know anything. How do you know she's in love?" he argued.

"Look at her face, babe. There's no doubting it," Rose added.

"You are all crazy," I declared.

"I want to know everything," Alice urged, skipping across the room and pulling me over to the couch.

I told them as much as I could remember. It was all so fresh in my mind, and I was filled with a rush of excitement and anticipation; it made it hard to remember everything. I talked about the food and the batting cage fiasco. Then, I told them about the roof and the kissing.

Alice and Rose both awed and oohed as I told them about my night with him. Emmett remained stone faced as I talked.

"He said he wanted to see me again and asked if he could call me," I added at the end.

"Ha, right there," Emmett announced boisterously. We all turned towards him with questioning eyes. "He's not perfect after all. Whenever a guy says he's going to call, he very rarely does and if he does, it's days later. Watch, he won't call."

"Oh shut up, Emmett. Why can't you be happy for your little sister?" Alice countered. "Can't you see how happy she is? Why ruin her joy by saying some jackass thing like he's not going to call? I think he will call. He's obviously very captivated by Bella, and she deserves to have a nice guy in her life."

"He's a ball player. They're all the same. They bed women in every city they visit. It'll get even worse if he moves up to the majors," Emmett argued.

"I resent that comment, Emmett. Jasper is a ball player, and he's nothing like what you described. He doesn't bed women in every city. I'm all he needs. I get the feeling this Edward guy is much the same way."

"I don't want my little sister to get her heart broken when this guy decides to not call her back, or worse."

"Just leave her be. If she wants to see Edward again, it's entirely up to her."

"I think she needs to kick this guy to the curb before it gets too serious, and he hurts her. I only bought the guy as a joke and for a chance for her to get out of this house. I never expected she'd actually fall for the guy."

I was just about to scream at both of them for attempting to make decisions for my life when my phone rang. Everyone in the room froze. It was really late, who would be calling me this late?

I dug my phone out of my purse and checked the ID. I bit my lip to prevent from smiling when I saw the number appearing on my screen.

"It's him," Alice squealed.

I shushed all of them and answered the phone.

"I couldn't wait," he admitted. "I wanted to hear your voice again."

"Really?" I breathed, smiling a big goofy grin.

"Am I coming on too strong by saying that?" he wondered nervously.

"No, I'm glad you called."

"I was curious if you planned to come to the game tomorrow?"

"I don't know. I haven't talked to anyone about whether or not we planned to go," I answered.

"I'd really like you to be there," he confessed.

"I'm sure Alice plans to go. I'll tag along with her."

"Good. Maybe we can get together after the game?" he wondered.

"Sounds great," I agreed. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'm looking forward to it already. Goodnight, Bella."

"Goodnight."

I hung up the phone, smiling with anticipation. I couldn't wait to see him again. I looked around the room at three curious faces.

"So…" Alice urged.

"He wants me to come to the game tomorrow. Are you planning to go?" I asked.

"Naturally," she answered.

"Is anyone else going?" I asked, looking at Rose and Emmett.

"I think Emmett and I will skip this game," Rose announced, shooting a warning look at Emmett. "You girls have a good time, and we'll see both of you tomorrow night." Emmett huffed, in frustration, before Rose took his hand and led him back to their room. I knew he was only being the protective brother, like he always has been, but I like Edward and I don't want him to sabotage anything with him.

"Hey, Emmett," I called down the hall towards him. He stopped just at their door and turned around to look at me. "He has a name. It's Edward. I'd really appreciate it if you stopped calling him 'the guy'." He clenched his teeth and nodded his head.

Alice and I stayed up a little longer discussing my night with Edward. She was so excited for me. She had all these plans of the four of us double dating. I kept insisting I wasn't sure where our relationship was going, or how long it would last, but she was so confident it would turn into a long term thing. Deep down I was hoping the same thing, but I didn't want to get my hopes up.

The next day, while everyone else was out at work, I spent most of the day practicing my harp and thinking about Edward. He made it really hard to concentrate.

By mid afternoon, Alice had us both decked out in jeans and team t-shirts as well as a team baseball cap. I felt sort of silly, but Alice insisted we needed to show our support to the team.

"Why didn't you dress like this for last game?" I asked as we drove to the stadium.

"Sometimes I do, but last week I knew Jasper and I were going out after the game, so I had to look cute."

"You don't plan to go out tonight?" I wondered.

"He mentioned going back to his place afterwards. I might not be home tonight." She glanced over with a grin on her face.

I rolled my eyes at her.

"What are you and Edward doing after the game?" she asked.

"I don't know. He just said we would get together afterwards."

She hummed in response in a knowing way. I knew what she was thinking. I shook my head at her and turned away. If she only knew what I almost considered doing last night. She'd probably kill me if she knew I was seriously considering sleeping with him on our first date.

Once we reached the field, we found our seats right up front and sat down waiting for the players to come out and begin warming up.

"So have you and Edward come up with any secret gestures for during the game?" she wondered.

"Alice," I began, irritated by the question. "We've only had one date. Coming up with secret signals for each other was not part of the night's conversation."

"I was only curious. It's pretty obvious you are completely into him. From what I hear from Jasper, he's really into you too. He tries to hide it, but Jaz says he's an open book. He wears his heart on his sleeve."

"Is it _too_ obvious I like him? I don't want to scare him off if he thinks things are going too fast."

"Bella, did you not hear a word I said? He likes you just as much, if not more, than you like him. I don't think he's going to think you're moving too fast. I just want you to be careful. Don't do anything you aren't ready for."

"Alice," I warned, rolling my eyes again. "I'm not a little girl. I don't need you to give me the talk about protection and being careful."

"I'm only saying be careful. I'd hate to see what Emmett might do to him if he ever crossed a line with you." We both laughed at the thought. Emmett would probably kill him if Edward ever tried anything I didn't want him to.

Moments later, the players came running out on the field. A few people in the crowd cheered and clapped. Alice grabbed my arm, pulling me to my feet and began screaming at the top of her lungs while clapping. She glanced over at me with a look of 'why aren't you doing the same'. I clapped and scanned the field for a familiar face. Alice elbowed me and screamed again. Reluctantly, I joined in and cheered at the top of my lungs. I felt really stupid. Everyone around us was staring. Even some of the players on the field were looking up to see what the commotion was. I'm sure I was bright red.

I noticed a couple men run out to the outfield and point us out to another man.

"Jasper's pointing you out to Edward," Alice informed.

"How can you tell?"

"Jasper is number 63, right there." She pointed him out to me. "And Edward is number 18."

"Who's the other guy with them?" I wondered.

"I think that's James. He's been on the team for quite a while. If I remember correctly, he's one of Edward's roommates. He's a little egoistical. I don't care for him much."

I watched Edward out on the field while he practiced. I wanted to give him some sort of little gesture. I couldn't blow a kiss. That was Alice and Jasper's thing. Plus he'd probably be a little freaked out if I did. I couldn't come up with anything else. I could wave, but that seemed too simple. I could salute, but he'd probably think I was strange. Why would I salute him?

Instead, as they came running in after warming up, I just smiled. He probably couldn't even see me smiling. He never looked up as he ran in to the dugout. My heart sort of sunk when he didn't acknowledge me at all. I watched as Alice and Jasper did their typical thing. I was just about to sit down and get comfortable for the game when suddenly I saw someone running up the path along the front of the stands. I glanced over at Alice, who also noticed, but didn't know what it was all about.

I leaned over the railing and looked down. I realized it was Edward, and suddenly my heart wasn't sinking, it was flying. I didn't really understand what he was doing though. He stopped in front of me and pulled himself up on to the railing. I looked into his eyes with a questioning look.

"I was kind of hoping I could get a good luck kiss," he revealed.

I smiled, placed my hand against his cheek, and leaned in for a quick kiss. When we parted, he was smiling a triumphant smile. I heard many people around us clapping and cheering. It was embarrassing. He jumped down and ran back towards the dugout. I sat back down next to Alice who stared at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Looks like things are more serious than I thought they were," she accused. I licked my lips, still able to taste his lips on them, and smiled. Thankfully, we had to stand for the national anthem, so she couldn't pressure me for anything more. I think she knew I wasn't going to tell her much anyway.

As the game progressed, they pulled ahead by a couple points. Alice and I cheered as much as possible for them. I caught Edward looking up at the stands periodically during the game. He would always smile up at me with a bashful grin.

At the end of the game, they won by three points. It was one of those nights they set off fireworks afterwards. As much as I liked watching the fireworks, all I really wanted to do was be with Edward. I wanted to congratulate him on the win. He did amazing during the game and definitely seemed to have some confidence in his playing. I was so proud of him.

Alice grabbed my hand and led me out of the stands once the fireworks were over. She led me around to the back where there was a small door and a very large man guarding it.

"Where are we going?" I asked, nervous about where she was dragging me.

"We're going back to the locker room to wait. All the wives and girlfriends go back."

We stopped in front of the man standing at the door with a clipboard in hand.

"Hi, Felix," she greeted.

"Evening, Alice. Are you going in?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered. He looked over at me. "This is Edward's girlfriend, Bella. I'm sure she's on the list."

"Alice," I whispered. "I'm not his girlfriend. We've only had one date."

"And tonight will make it two," she pointed out. Felix scanned the clipboard. I didn't think I would be on the list. Why would I?

"Bella Swan?" he asked.

"Yep, that's her," Alice answered.

"Go ahead ladies." He stepped aside and let us in the side door. I was still a little baffled by what happened when we made it to the back and sat down on the bench in the hall.

"Did he really put my name on the list?" I asked.

"Sure looks like he did. I'd say since he put your name on the list and went out of his way to publicly kiss you for good luck, you're his girlfriend," she declared.

I got a knot in my stomach at the thought. It wasn't because I didn't want to be his girlfriend. It was because I'd never really been a girlfriend to anyone. This was all knew territory.

"Who's this, Alice?" A tall, red-headed woman asked.

"Hi, Victoria," Alice greeted. "This is my best friend, as well as Edward's new girlfriend, Bella."

"Really?" She asked unconvinced. "I was under the impression Edward didn't date during the season. He likes to focus on the game and the game only."

"Well, maybe he hadn't found the right girl until now," Alice argued. I could tell there was some hostility between the two of them. I was curious to know what it was about.

"Even still, knowing Edward the way I do, it won't last."

"Maybe you don't know him as well as you think you do," Alice countered.

"We shall see, won't we?"

"Yes, we shall."

She narrowed her eyes at the two of us before flipping her fiery red hair over her shoulder and walked away.

"What was that about?" I wondered.

"She's James' girlfriend. James has been here for so long, so she thinks she's queen bee. She thinks she knows it all. In reality, she's clueless about everyone here. She's just nosey and wants to know everyone's business. Personally, I think she's jealous. James is sort of an ass to her, and he treats her like shit most days. James has watched so many players move up to the majors while he's still stuck in the minors. He takes it out on her."

"Does he hurt her?" I gasped.

"No, not that I know of anyway," she assured. "It's more like he treats her like his personal assistant than a girlfriend. I've heard he's cheated on her numerous times, and she pretends like it's not happening. He's just an all around jerk."

Jasper and Edward walked out of the locker room laughing about something. Alice ran across the room squealing as she jumped in Jasper's arms. He caught her and swung her around, kissing her all over the place. I glanced over at Edward who slowly walked over to me. He looked nervous. Or maybe it was in reaction to my own nervousness. Alice telling me she thinks Edward considers me his girlfriend was still a little unnerving.

"Hi," he greeted.

"Hi," I said in return.

He leaned in and wrapped his arms around me. I hugged him back, breathing his scent in. He smelled like he just took a shower. Being in his arms made all those fears I was having seconds ago disappear. I didn't care if he considered me his girlfriend or not. I wanted to be.

"Thanks for the luck," he whispered.

"I had nothing to do with it. You were amazing tonight. I'm so proud of you," I whispered in return. His hold tightened around me.

"We're out of here," Alice announced behind us. Edward released his hold around me and turned us around to face them. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She came over to me and hugged me tightly. "Have fun tonight," she whispered in my ear before breaking away and walking out with Jasper. Edward and Jasper gave each other the typical male nod of acknowledgement.

"Are you still up to spending the night with me?" he asked, turning his attention back on me.

I wasn't quite sure how to respond to his question. My mouth opened to answer, but nothing came out.

"I didn't mean it that way," he clarified, shaking his head. "I only meant to ask if you still wanted to spend some time together tonight. I'll take you home afterwards, I promise."

"I'm up for whatever you want to do," I agreed.

He nodded his head, relieved I wasn't backing out.

We walked out of the building and out towards his car. He opened the door for me before throwing his stuff in the back seat. We headed out on the road, still fairly quiet.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. "I was thinking we could go get something to eat."

"Please, but make it somewhere close and fast."

"Are you ready for the night to be over already?" he wondered, playing it off as a joke, but I could tell he was sincerely concerned.

"I didn't mean it like I wanted the date to end. I just haven't eaten all day, and I'm starving," I clarified.

Oh," he laughed. "Why haven't you eaten all day?"

"I've been nervous about tonight and what this is between us." I figured getting it out in the open was probably the best thing. The sooner I knew how serious he was about us, the better I'd feel.

"There's no reason to be nervous," he insisted, disregarding my entire comment about what this was between us. "It's going to take a little longer to get to where we're going, but the food will be ready by the time we get there."

"Where are we going?" I asked.

I could see him smirk in the faint light of the car. "You'll see."

We rode in relatively comfortable silence. I was a little concerned about where we were going. All I knew is we were traveling north along the main highway.

After about a half hour of driving, we pulled up in front of a small house in Mount Vernon. Edward turned off the car and got out, coming around to open my door for me.

"Where are we?" I asked.

He placed his hand on the small of my back and guided me up to the door.

"This is where I grew up."

We walked right through the front door without knocking.

"Gram," he called.

"In here." I heard a voice reply from the kitchen. We walked towards the kitchen and instantly I was engulfed in the smells of delicious food. My stomach growled with hunger. I didn't think it was loud enough for Edward to hear, but when he chuckled, I knew he'd heard.

"Welcome home, Edward," the woman in the kitchen greeted, giving Edward a huge hug.

"Hi, Gram," he greeted in return. She pulled away, looking him over at arm's length.

"You're too thin. It's a good thing you came home. I need to feed you and send you home with some leftovers."

He sighed and rolled his eyes. I tried to hold my giggles in, but failed. She turned towards me and gave me the once over.

"When you said you were bringing your girlfriend over for dinner, I didn't realize she would be so beautiful," she admired.

I blushed at her words. Edward cleared his throat in nervousness. "Gram, this is Bella. Bella this is my grandma, Esme."

"Hello," I squeaked. I wanted to sound so much more sophisticated and proper, but all I could get out was a hello.

"She's adorable, Edward." Esme wrapped her arms around my shoulders, hugging me to her. I was a little caught off guard.

"Gram, we're both starving. Is dinner about done?" Edward asked, trying to break the tension.

"Oh, yes of course. Follow me," she instructed.

We followed her into the dining room where an older man was already sitting down.

"Edward, my boy," he greeted in a boisterous voice.

"Hi, Grandpa." Edward walked over to him and leaned down to give him a hug.

It looked as if the man couldn't see since he never looked directly at Edward.

"Grandpa, I want you to meet someone." Edward turned towards me and held out his hand. I took his hand and he led me closer to the man. I noticed he picked up a thick pair of glasses off the table and slipped them on his face. Edward placed my hand in his and the man squeezed it gently. "This is Bella. The girl I've been telling you about. Bella this is my grandpa, Carlisle."

He squinted up at me, through his thick glasses, and smiled. "She's beautiful, Edward," he remarked aloud. I knew I was going to start blushing again. "You picked a perfect bride."

I choked at his comment. Edward laughed. "I did, didn't I?" Edward agreed. I looked at him with questioning eyes. Edward took my hand away from Carlisle's and guided me over to a seat at the table. He pulled my seat out for me before sitting down next to me. As Esme began filling the table with dishes of delicious smelling foods, Edward leaned into my ear.

"My Grandpa is beginning to show signs of Alzheimer's. He gets confused easily. It's easier to play along than to try and explain because he ends up getting more confused if you try. Sorry if he made you feel uncomfortable," he explained quietly.

I turned my head towards him and smiled. "It's okay," I assured. At least I understood now and didn't feel like I was missing something.

"Everything smells great, Gram. Thanks for doing this," Edward marveled.

"You know I can never deny you anything. I'm just glad you decided to come home for a visit and bring such a beautiful girl with you," Esme reasoned.

"Gram," Edward warned. I giggled at his obvious embarrassment.

"How long, have you and my son been married now, Elizabeth? Don't you think you need to have a child by now? I'm not getting any younger. I'd like to have some grandkids, you know?" Carlisle informed.

I glanced at Edward, hoping he had some way to help me out.

"You're an impatient, old man," Edward evaded the question.

"How about you eat, Carlisle?" Esme cut in. She began filling his plate with food, and Carlisle seemed perfectly content to eat and avoid all conversation from there on.

The food all looked so good. Esme had fried chicken which smelled amazing, scalloped potatoes, corn on the cob, homemade bread, and even an apple pie. I didn't want to look like a pig, but the thought of eating home cooking was too tempting. I filled my plate and dug in. I couldn't contain myself. It was all so good.

"So how long have you two known each other, Bella?" Esme asked.

"Only a couple days," I answered.

"Really? That's all? You two seem so comfortable with each other. I would have guessed you've been dating for a while," Esme observed.

I glanced over at Edward who had a grin on his face while he ate. "I think maybe it's because we're both very similar."

"Well, to make any good relationship work, you need to like the same things. Are you a baseball fan?" she asked.

"Yeah, I guess. My best friend's boyfriend plays on the same team as Edward. We go to most of the games."

"Is that how you two met?" she wondered.

"Um…" I began, looking to Edward for help.

"Gram, don't you think you've asked enough questions?" Edward cut in.

"I'm only curious about how serious things are between the two of you."

"Like Bella said, we've only known each other a couple days."

"Alright, I'll stop," she gave in. "I do need to say though, I don't think I've ever seen you so happy, Edward. I like it," she confessed.

I smiled at her comment. If I made him happy then I was glad.

"How'd the game go today?" she asked.

"It was good. We won," Edward replied.

"It wasn't just good. He did amazing tonight. He had three really good hits. One of which would have been a homerun if it wasn't for the other team catching it right at the fence line. He was part of a triple play. He caught two fly balls. He was on fire tonight," I bragged.

I noticed Esme shoot Edward a knowing look. I turned to Edward, who sat there with a huge grin on his face, watching me talk about him.

"Has Edward told you how long he's been playing ball?" Esme asked. She didn't wait for an answer before telling me all about it. "He was about five years old when he decided he was going to be a baseball player. He's won so many awards over the years. You should show her after we're done eating."

"I'd love to see them," I agreed.

"What is it you do, Bella?" Esme asked.

Edward laughed. "She hasn't even told me what she does. I don't think she's going to tell you, Gram."

"You don't even know what she does for a living?" she asked in astonishment.

"It's just something I don't share with people right away. I've learned in the past most people are either intimidated or turned off by it," I explained.

"Oh, I don't think you could intimidate Edward. He's head over heels for you. Nothing you do will turn him off," Esme insisted.

I heard Edward sigh in embarrassment again. I actually enjoyed watching him get embarrassed. It made him seem more real and loveable. I liked how he chose to bring me here to meet his family for our second date. It made it even more apparent to me that I was important to him, and he wanted me to know him completely.

After dinner, Edward took me into his childhood bedroom and showed me around. There were trophies and awards everywhere. He had posters of great baseball players from the past all over his walls. By his bed was a picture of him as a child, holding up one of the larger trophies. I could tell it was him. He still looked exactly the same as he does now. I walked over and picked up the picture. Beside him were two people, I assumed were his parents. The three of them looked so happy, and you could see the pride they had in their son written all over their faces. It broke my heart.

Edward walked up behind me, looking down at the picture. I leaned back up against him, not afraid to do so anymore.

"Is this your parents?" I asked.

"Yeah," he answered, softly. "This was the last picture taken of us before they died. This was at our championship game, and we had just won. Like I said before, I was supposed to go with them, but I begged to go to a friend's house instead."

"I'm so sorry, Edward." I placed the picture back on the nightstand and turned around to look at him. I could see the pain in his face. I wished there was a way I could take his pain away. I placed my hand on his shoulder, rubbing it lightly. He slowly moved closer to me, placing his hand on my elbow. I glanced up at him quickly before ducking my head again. He gently pulled my chin up and leaned in to kiss me. I parted my lips against his, letting myself enjoy everything about his kiss. He pulled me closer to him, wrapping his arms around my waist. I twisted my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer to me. Our lips moved together in our passionate kiss. He moaned into my mouth and lifted me off the floor. I wanted to wrap my legs around him and have him carry me to the bed. However, I was reminded we were in his grandparent's house when Esme walked in.

"Are you two ready for dessert?" she asked, walking in. "Oh… I'm sorry… I—"

Edward placed me back on my feet and broke the kiss. We both cleared our throats and wiped our mouths.

"I'll just leave." Esme walked out of the room with a grin on her face.

Edward and I looked at each other and started laughing. He took my hand, leading me over to the bed and sat down, sitting me on his knee.

"I'm sorry about that. I don't think my grandma thought she would catch us kissing in here. It's not something she's ever caught me doing before."

"It's okay," I assured. "Can I ask how many girls you've had in your room?" I was curious, but I didn't want it to come off as I was jealous in anyway. I think I failed in my attempt though.

"None. You're the first," he answered.

"Seriously?" I was shocked by his answer.

"Yeah. I've never brought a girl home to meet my grandparents."

"Then why did you bring me on our second date?"

"Because…you're special," he admitted. "I want to share everything about myself with you. I want you to know who I really am and where I came from."

I looked deep in his eyes, seeing how sincere he was being. I was pretty sure this was his way of telling me this was more than just a couple dates to him.

"Am I moving too fast?" he worried. "If I am, just tell me. I don't want you to get freaked out or think I'm pushing too much. I just really like you, and I'm the type of person to go after what I want and not wait. I don't like to wait for anything. I mean, you never know when life will end and waiting for the right time or a better moment seems pointless to me."

I pressed my finger to his lips to stop his rambling. "You aren't moving too fast. I'm not getting freaked out by anything." He smiled against my finger. I pulled my finger away and kissed him once again.

Eventually, we joined Edward's grandparents back in the living room and had a piece of the best apple pie I've ever had. I was almost tempted to ask for a second piece—it was so good. Esme talked so much about Edward as a child. She showed me adorable pictures of him from when he was a baby and all through his high school years. I really liked Esme. She was funny and sweet. She definitely loved Edward.

By the time we left their house, I had promised Esme and Carlisle we would be back as soon as possible. It was only a half hour drive from where we lived; there was no reason we couldn't go back to visit.

"Are you sure you're not freaked out by what happened earlier?" Edward asked again during the drive back to Seattle. "I know it's hard with my grandpa thinking we were married. He always thinks I'm my dad and I guess tonight he thought you were my mom. I'm really sorry about the grandchildren comment he made. Like I said, he's showing a lot of signs of Alzheimer's. And the comment my grandma made about you being my girlfriend, you don't have to be if you don't want to. I mean, I want you to, but I don't want you to get freaked out by it either."

"Edward," I interrupted. "I'm not freaked out by anything. Stop being paranoid." I reached over, slipping my hand in his. He accepted my hand, squeezing it tightly. He raised my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. I smiled and rested my head against his shoulder as we drove.

He dropped me off at my house, giving me a pretty passionate goodnight kiss. I was really tempted to invite him in to meet my brother and sister-in-law, but I didn't know what type of mood Emmett would be in, and I didn't want my brother to scare him off.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" I asked.

"Um, hopefully spending the day with you since I don't have a game," he answered.

"I was hoping you would say that. Can you come by tomorrow around one? Everyone will be gone for the afternoon, and I want to show you something."

He smiled, tightening his grip around me. "I'll be here."

We kissed one last time before he left for the night.

If I was serious about him and wanted to be his girlfriend, he needs to know who I am. He's shared so much of who he is with me, and I haven't told him much about me. However, the thought scared me to death. Would he accept me for who I was? Would he still want to be with me? Would he be intimidated or turned off like everyone else I've ever tried to get close to?

There was only one way to find out. I had to be honest with him and hope for the best.

**Second half should be up by the time you're done reading this.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the characters involved.**

**Sports Disclaimer: I am not much of a sports fan. I had to ask my husband a lot of questions and do tons of research on minor league baseball. There are probably a lot of things I got wrong as far as baseball and the minor/major leagues go, but this was just a fun story so if there are mistakes I apologize. Also, I wanted to say I saw the Aquasoxs play against my home team the Emeralds back in the summer with my boys' cub scout pack. While at the game is where this story developed in my head. Obviously you can tell, I wasn't paying much attention to the game but more to my own thoughts. Even the auctioning off of organization people/players, happened for the charity of Susan G. Komen.**

**Second Half of Good Luck Kiss**

**BPOV**

Edward arrived the next day promptly at one o'clock. The butterflies in my stomach were beginning to make me sick. I hoped this went well. Most of the time when I'd tell a new guy I was dating what I did for a living they'd laugh at me or be intimidated by me. Most men didn't understand why I loved playing the harp and made it my life. Everyone told me I'd never make it and I was wasting my time. However, I did make it. I got into the Seattle Orchestra and considering I was the only harp player, I made really good money. The money was nice, but what was most important to me is I was living my dream. I just hoped Edward would understand and accept me for me.

I opened the door to a smiling Edward. In an instant, he wrapped me in his arms and consumed my lips with his. I giggled as he walked us into the house and shut the door. I pressed my hand against his chest to stop him. He seemed disappointed when I made him stop. He loosened his grip around me but still held me close.

"Thanks for coming today," I said.

"Why wouldn't I come?" he asked, watching my lips as he licked his own.

I shrugged, looking down at his chest. I was afraid to look at him in the eyes. "I don't know," I breathed.

He sighed, tightening his grip around me. "Are you nervous about today?" he wondered.

I glanced up at his eyes only for a second. I laughed nervously and bit my lip. "Yes."

"You don't need to be nervous around me, Bella. There's no reason to be," he assured.

He leaned in and kissed me in an attempt to calm my nerves. It was working.

"Come on," I ordered, taking his hand and leading him down the hall. He smirked as he followed me. I brought him into my room and closed the door behind us. "Sit right here." I pushed him down to a sitting position on my bed. I took a deep breath and walked over to my harp. I sat down in the chair and leaned it back against my shoulder.

"What is that?" he asked with a small chuckle in his voice.

"This is a harp," I answered. "You wanted to know what it was I did for a living, this is it. I play the harp. I want to play for you." He nodded his head, quietly waiting for me to begin. I positioned myself with the harp and placed my hands on each side of it. I closed my eyes and began to play a simple melody. I lost myself in the music, playing longer and more fluently than I originally planned to. When I stopped, I opened my eyes slowly and glanced in his direction. His mouth was hanging open, and he stared at me without blinking or moving. I got really nervous. This couldn't be good. I looked down at the floor nervously.

In a flash, Edward was at my side raising my chin with his fingers and kissing my mouth. I giggled into his mouth. He kneeled down next to me, placing his hands on each side of my face. He looked at me with admiration in his eyes. "Why were afraid to tell me this is what you did for a living?" he wondered.

I shrugged, looking down once again. "I guess because every other guy I've dated either thought I was crazy for going after an impossible dream instead of finding a real job, or they'd be intimidated and end up leaving me."

"Well I can tell right now, I am a little intimidated but not enough to want to leave you. You're amazing, Bella. You should be proud of what you do. And your dream is no crazier than mine, so we're not much different," he assured. I smiled, feeling a little better about showing him. "What you played was beautiful. I can see the passion you have for playing. "

"Thank you," I said, making sure he knew how much his acceptance meant to me.

"How long have you been playing the harp?" he asked.

"Since I was about ten," I answered. "My mom was a little bit of a super soccer mom. She pushed me and Emmett into everything extracurricular. We were dragged to piano lessons and soccer practice. Emmett played football. I was taken to gymnastics. It was a never ending cycle of everything we both hated. It put a huge strain on my parents' relationship as well, and I believe that was what eventually broke them up. One day at my piano lesson there was a book with a picture of a harp on it. I asked my instructor what it was, and she explained what type of an instrument it was and how it was played. I told my mom that day I wanted to play the harp. So, like the great mom she is, she searched all of Washington until she found me an instructor. Eventually she found one outside of Victoria, Canada. Once a week, we would make the three and half hour drive into Canada for my lessons. Thankfully, my mom didn't make me do any other activities except piano and harp. I think she finally got the hint I wasn't any good at sports, and Emmett wasn't any good at music."

He smiled before kissing me again. He deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around my waist. He stood to his feet, making me stand with him. Then he led us to the bed and sat us down on the edge. His fingers tangled into my hair as he wrapped his hand around my neck. We fell back on the bed, exploring each other's clothed body. He let out a light moan as my fingers traced down his back and lifted the hem of his shirt slightly. He reached down grabbing my leg behind the knee, hitching it around his hip. I sighed heavily as he began to kiss my neck.

Just as things were beginning to heat up between us, there was a knock on my bedroom door. We both froze.

"Hey, Bells?" Emmett called through the door. "Are you in there?"

"What do you want, Emmett?" I yelled back.

"Are you okay? You aren't sick are you?" he wondered.

"No, I'm fine. What do you want?" I suggested. Edward rolled to the side of me and stared up at the ceiling.

"Rose is home too. I think she could use a friend right now."

I sat up, wondering what he meant by 'she could use a friend'. "What's wrong with Rose?" I asked.

"Maybe you should talk to her."

I sighed, running my hand through my hair. "I'll be out in a minute." I waited until I heard him walk back down the hall before I turned back to Edward.

He leaned up on his elbows smirking at me. "So am I sneaking out the window like a teenager, or am I meeting the brother who bought me?"

I giggled, leaning in to kiss him. "You're meeting my brother," I whispered against his lips. "I'll warn you now though, he's a little overprotective."

"I sort of picked up on that during our first date. I'm sure it'll be fine," he assured. He kissed me one last time before we stood to our feet and straightened our clothes and hair. I took his hand and led him out of my bedroom. We walked into the living room. Sitting on the couch crying was Rose. Emmett sat next to her, doing his best to console her. I quickly ran to her side to find out what was wrong.

"I was fired today," she whimpered.

"What!" I gasped. "Why would you get fired? What happened?"

"My boss said it's because of budget cuts. Over a dozen people were laid off today. I don't know what to do."

"I'm sure you'll find something even better," I assured.

"It's okay, Baby. I'll take care of you. You don't even need to work," Emmett added, which only made her cry more. I know Rose. She has to work. If she's not busy doing something, she gets bored and becomes very bitchy towards everyone. We needed to find her a job.

"I might have a suggestion," Edward cut in. For the first time, Emmett and Rose noticed he was in the room. My brother gave him the once over before standing in an intimidating way.

"Emmett, calm down. This is Edward. Edward, this is my brother, Emmett and my sister-in-law, Rosalie," I introduced. Edward and Emmett nodded at each other in stand-off sort of way. I rolled my eyes at how they were behaving.

"What is your suggestion?" Rose asked through her tears.

"There are always positions available at the stadium – secretary , media relations, ticket vendors, all sorts of things. I'm not sure what you're qualifications are but it's worth a try to look into. I'm sure there's something," he offered. I smiled at how sweet he was. He didn't even know her, but he was trying to help her out.

"That's a great idea," Rose announced excitedly. She jumped to her feet, throwing her arms around Edward's shoulders. I heard Emmett grumble. Edward looked a little uncomfortable from Rose's forwardness, but he accepted her hug. She pulled away from him leaving her hands on his arms and looked him over. "You are a lifesaver. No wonder Bella loves you."

"Rose!" I exclaimed. Why does my family have to embarrass me at every opportunity? What did I ever do to any of them?

"Oh, sorry," Rose cunningly said with a smirk on her face. Emmett wrapped his arm around Rose's waist, pulling her into his side and away from Edward. Edward glanced over at me with a bashful look on his face. I grabbed his hand and pulled him to the couch to sit next to me. He placed his arm around my shoulders and gently rubbed it.

"What were you kids up to today?" Emmett asked.

"You're so nosy sometimes," I accused.

"I'm only curious," he defended. "I assume he was in your room. You don't normally have guys over to the house."

"There are reasons why too," I reminded. "You being one." Rose snickered while Emmett glared at me.

"Bella was playing the harp for me," Edward answered. "I've never heard anything more beautiful." He turned toward me while he spoke. I blushed at his compliment, trying to hide my face against his chest.

"She is good, isn't she?" Emmett added. "You should see her play with the orchestra."

"I'm hoping to," Edward answered. "I want to see everything she does. She's fascinating to watch."

"Okay, can both of you stop now?" I requested. "You're starting to make me sick." I stood up and walked toward the kitchen to get something to drink for everyone. Rose followed me a few moments later.

"So, you told him what you do, huh?" she asked. I nodded my head, peaking in on my brother and Edward sitting alone in the living room. "That's a big step for you. How did it go?"

"Good, I think. He didn't run away or laugh at me, so I guess it's a good sign," I answered.

She laughed. "Bella, you could be a stripper and he wouldn't care. You can see it in the way he looks at you. He's irrevocably in love with you. You can do no wrong in his eyes."

"That's ridiculous. We haven't known each other for very long," I defended.

"You want to know how long it took me to decide I loved your brother?" she wondered. I turned towards her, waiting for her to answer. "About ten minutes into our first date. He made me laugh and that was it. I knew I was going to love him for the rest of my life. Edward looks at you the same way I look at Emmett."

I turned back towards the drinks I was pouring in front of me. She had to be wrong. She was reading too much into this. There was no denying Edward liked me and I liked him, but love is such a strong word. I wouldn't say he loved me.

I carried the drinks back into the living room, seeing my brother and Emmett were laughing together. This was either really good or really bad. I handed Edward a glass and sat back down next to him.

The four of us talked and laughed for the rest of the day. It looked like my brother was beginning to approve of Edward. He barely noticed when Edward rubbed my thigh a few times or leaned in to kiss my temple. Normally, Emmett would make some rude comment or grumble if any guy touched me. Growing up I didn't have just an overprotective dad, I had an overprotective brother too. Which inadvertently left me dateless more times than not. I thought moving out on my own and being older would make this stop, but not according to Emmett.

By the time Alice got home, I was already in the kitchen making dinner for everyone. I realized this was the first time I was cooking for Edward. I needed to impress him. His grandma was an amazing cook. There's no way I could live up to her, but I had to try. I ended up making baked ziti with caesar salad and garlic bread. I hoped he liked it.

Jasper showed up a little while later and joined us for dinner. Everything seemed to be going real well until Emmett started sharing embarrassing stories of my childhood. I'm sure my face was as red as a tomato. Everyone was laughing and enjoying my embarrassment. I couldn't take it anymore and ended up leaving the table to wash dishes in the kitchen.

I was in the middle of loading the dishwasher when I felt two strong arms snake around my waist from behind. I smiled, leaning back into his chest. He leaned into my neck, gently pressing his lips to the spot behind my ear.

"Thank you for dinner. It was delicious," he cooed into my neck. His breath against my neck sent chills down my spine.

"I'm sure it wasn't as good as your grandmother's cooking," I added.

"I'd have to disagree with you there. It was the best ziti I've ever had."

I turned around, playfully shoving him against the chest. "You're such a liar."

He laughed, pulling me closer to him and kissed me. "It was really good, and I'm not lying," he assured.

"Thank you."

"Don't be embarrassed by the stories your brother was telling either. I liked hearing about what you were like as a child. Plus, I think I kind of deserved hearing a little since my grandma showed you all those embarrassing pictures of me as a kid."

I smiled, realizing he was probably right. We both had our share of embarrassing stories.

"So…" I began.

"So…" he repeated.

"Since you've met my brother and my friends and saw where I live, do I get to meet your friends and see your home?"

"I wouldn't really call them my friends. Roommates would be a better word."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, do I get to meet your roommates?"

"Why do you want to meet my roommates?" he wondered. "There isn't anything exciting about them. I only live with them because I have to."

"I still want to meet them and see where you live," I insisted.

"Don't I get to meet your parents first?" he argued.

"My dad maybe, but my mom might be a little harder to meet since she lives in Arizona," I reminded.

"Have you told your parents about me?" he questioned.

"No," I answered.

"Why?" he asked, surprised by my answer.

I shrugged and ducked my head a little. I got the impression this upset him for some reason. "I don't talk to my parents very often. I haven't had a chance to tell them yet. I will though. Don't think I'm hiding you from them."

"Why don't you talk to your parents very often?" he questioned further.

"I don't know. I just don't have a reason to call them very often. I usually call them once or twice a month to check in."

"You should call them every day. You never know when the last time will be to talk to them. I wouldn't want you to have any regrets about not talking to them more."

I stared up at him with my mouth hanging open. The pain I saw in his eyes was unimaginable. I understood what he was saying. He lost his parents so suddenly and never got the chance to say goodbye. I'm sure he has tons of guilt considering he told me about how he was supposed to be in the car with them.

"You're right. I should call them more." I had to choke back the tears as I spoke.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so pushy. I don't have any right to tell you what you should do. I should stay out of your personal life," he reprimanded himself.

"Edward, it's okay. You're right. I need to check in more often just to see how they're doing. I have the perfect idea too. You take me to see your place and meet your roommates, and on your next day off we'll drive out to see my dad. Maybe someday we'll be able to visit my mom too."

"I like this idea." He smiled at the thought. "Although I don't like the fact I have to introduce you to my roommates."

"What is so wrong with your roommates? I see those guys at the games, don't I? It's not like I don't know how guys act. I do live with my brother, and Jasper is here all the time. It'll be fine."

He sighed. "Alright, I'm leaving for a few away games tomorrow, but as soon as I get back I'll bring you to my house."

"Thank you," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"If I thought bringing you to meet my grandparents was bad, this is going to be ten times worse," he whispered. I laughed, thinking he was being a little dramatic. How bad could it really be?

We spent a little more time with everyone else before he had to go. I really didn't want him to leave, knowing he was going to be gone for a few days. I had to give him extra good luck kisses before he could leave. He also promised to call me every day while he was gone. I was almost tempted to go with him. But I couldn't be gone that long.

I walked back in the house and all eyes were on me. "What?" I asked.

"I like him," Emmett said.

Good," I laughed.

"He's really sweet, Bella," Alice added. "It's obvious he adores you."

I smiled bashfully.

"I have excellent taste in men, don't I?" Emmett pointed out. Rose smacked him playfully, while Alice and I laughed hysterically. "What? I picked out a good one for my little sister. All the guys she's ever picked out were jerks."

"Yes Emmett, you picked out a good one," I agreed to appease him.

We talked for a little while longer before I told all of them goodnight.

The week Edward was gone was harder than I thought it would be. We'd only been dating for a short time, but it felt like half of me was missing. We talked on the phone every night, sometimes for hours at a time. He would tell me how the game went and what he was doing in whatever city he was currently in. I would listen to every detail intently. I wanted to know it all. While he was gone, I tried to focus on rehearsing. I had a show coming up in just a few days, and I wanted to be well prepared. I was given this opportunity to be a part of the orchestra, and I don't want to blow it by not being prepared.

Rose went down to the baseball stadium during the week and landed herself an excellent job. She was so happy. This was a better job than her last one and she liked what she did.

After the long week of Edward being gone, Alice and I both went to the bus station to wait for Edward and Jasper. All the other girlfriends and families were waiting around for the bus to arrive too. I caught Victoria glaring at me a few times. I'm not sure why. I don't even know her. I wondered if there was something between her and Edward. I hoped I was wrong though. I can't imagine Edward ever wanting someone like her.

As the bus pulled in, the crowd swarmed the bus. Jasper was one of the first people off. Alice squealed and ran towards him. He scooped her up in his arms, giving her a passionate kiss. I wanted to do the same with Edward. I missed him so much. I knew being with him is going to be difficult with his crazy schedule, but it was harder than I thought.

I waited and waited for him to get off the bus, but he wasn't there. I began to get worried until I finally saw him limping off the bus with crutches. I ran to him with fear overtaking me and looked him over.

"What happened?" I gasped.

"I'm fine," he assured. "It's just a sprained ankle. In a few days I'll be back to normal."

I wrapped my arm around his torso, making him lean on me for support. Jasper came over to assist and help Edward to the car.

"Does this mean you're off the team?" I asked.

"No, like I said, I'll be fine in a few days. I just need to rest my leg and ice it." Every move he made he would get this look on his face like he was in so much pain. I hated seeing him like that. I drove over to his apartment and Jasper helped him up to his room while I following close behind.

We stepped into what could only be described as a bachelor pad or maybe a frat house after a huge party. It was a mess. I didn't want to leave him here like this. Edward motioned to what room was his and Jasper led him back, placing him on his bed. I hesitantly stepped through his bedroom door. At least his room wasn't as messy as the rest of the house. He did somewhat have order of his room.

"I'll wait in the car with Alice," Jasper informed, giving Edward and I some privacy.

Edward put his hand out for me to come closer. I walked to the edge of the bed, placing my hand in his. He pulled closer, making me sit on the edge of the bed. "Is there anything I can get you?" I asked.

"No, just sit here with me for a minute," he said, kissing the palm of my hand.

"I feel so helpless. There has to be something I can do for you."

"I'm fine, Bella. I promise."

I sighed, wanting so badly to be able to do something for him. How was he going to take care of himself here?

"Come here," he ordered. He wrapped his hand around my neck, pulling me down to his lips. We kissed for a long time. I knew Alice and Jasper were waiting for me, but I didn't want to leave.

"Hey Edward," someone shouted from the doorway. We stopped kissing, looking up to see who it was speaking. Leaning against the door was a tall man with dark hair. He had an amused look on his face. "Next time you have a girl over, you might want to shut your door."

My face turned bright red. Edward picked up a pillow and threw it at him. He laughed, dodging the throw.

"No wonder we lost, you can't throw," he teased even more.

"I think we lost because someone dodges the ball instead of catching it," Edward shot back.

"Touché."

Edward chuckled before introducing me to his roommate. "Bella, this is Garrett. Garrett, this is Bella."

He walked farther in the room, shaking my hand in greeting. "So you're the good luck charm," he said.

"Excuse me?" I wondered.

"Your Edward's good luck charm," he clarified. "He can't win a game without you." I turned back towards Edward who shook his head.

"Garrett, stop," Edward demanded.

"It's true," the man I knew as James cut in. "We lost the game because of her. You fucked up your leg because of her."

"Shut the fuck up and get out of my room," he yelled. They both retreated out the door, leaving Edward and I alone once again.

"Am I the one who caused this?" I asked timidly.

He sat up, placing his hand on my cheek. "You are not to blame for anything. Don't ever think anything is your fault," he assured. I nodded my head and gave him a weak smile.

"I'm going to get you some water and try to find something for you to eat before I leave," I informed. I walked out into the kitchen area and searched the cupboards for a clean glass. There weren't any. I found one sitting next to the counter and washed it out before filling it with some water and ice. I looked in their fridge, but there was absolutely nothing edible in there.

"You do realize you are the only reason we lost today, right?" James asked, coming up behind me. I jumped at his presence. He made me nervous.

"How am I the reason you lost?" I asked.

"Every player has something they use for good luck during a game. Some wear the same socks, others chew the same piece of gum, or have to smoke a cigarette before every game. It's a tradition ballplayers have done for years. Edward's thing is kissing you before the games. Home games, he's excellent. Away games, he fucks up and comes home with a cast on his leg. It's not hard to put two and two together. You are what cost us the game."

"What do you want me to do, start coming to every single away and home game?" I questioned sarcastically.

"No, I just think you should know." He walked away, leaving me standing in the kitchen alone. I stood there for a few moments dumbfounded by what he told me. I didn't want everyone to think I was responsible for what happened to Edward's leg. I gave up trying to find something for him to eat and just brought the water back to him. He took the glass and placed it on the nightstand. I was still a little shaken up by what James said, but I did my best to hide it.

"You should probably go before Alice and Jasper leave you here," he suggested.

"I don't like leaving you here with no one to take care of you."

"Those assholes out there will help me out if I need anything."

"Are you sure? I could stay here with you," I suggested quietly.

He laughed. "I don't think that would be a very good idea. They would never give us any privacy. I'll be fine, Bella. Just go. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay." I leaned down giving him one last kiss goodbye. He held onto me, unwilling to let me go.

"I'm sorry you had to see my house and meet my roommates like this. I would have cleaned up and made it more special if this hadn't happened. I'm sure you think I'm some sort of slob now."

I shook my head. "I don't care what your house looks like. I don't think you're a slob. I think your roommates are slobs." He laughed. "I'll come by tomorrow to see how you're doing."

"Alright."

I stood up and walked towards the door. I put my hand on the doorknob but stopped before I opened it.

"I have a better idea," I announced, turning back to Edward. He looked up at me curiously. "I want you to stay with me at my house for a few days. You need someone to take care of you while you recover. Now tell me what to pack for you."

"Bella," he whined.

"I'm not taking no for an answer. Either you tell me what to pack or I'll just pack everything in sight." He gave in reluctantly and told me what he would need packed. I helped him to his feet and led him back out to the living room of his apartment. The two guys were sitting on the couch watching TV and eating take-out when we walked out.

"Where are _you_ going?" James asked.

"He's going to my house. He needs someone to take care of him," I explained. They both snickered. I looked up at Edward's face just as he rolled his eyes.

I didn't say any more while we walked out the door. I hoped Edward wasn't mad at me for insisting I take care of him. I got him to my house and helped him into my bed. I made him an ice pack for his ankle and made him something to eat. I did everything to make sure he was comfortable. He kept insisting he was fine, but I wanted to be sure.

I made him sit up, and I slid in behind him so I could massage his shoulders. He moaned and sighed a lot, so I knew he was enjoying it. "I really am fine, Bella. You don't have to do all this."

"I'm only trying to help."

"I know, and I appreciate all you're doing, but you don't need to do it all."

"I don't mind."

"Can I tell you something and can you promise me you won't tell a soul?" he wondered. I slid out from behind him and sat on the bed next to him. His hand rested at the small of my back while his other hand brushed the hair out of my face. "I did sprain my ankle. It's not a lie." I looked at him with a confused expression. What did he mean? I never thought he was lying about it. "I may have exaggerated the pain a little though. It's really not as bad as it may appear."

"Why would you lie about it?" he questioned.

"Emmett told me the other day you have your first concert coming up, and I would have missed it because of a game. I don't want to miss it."

"Edward," I shrieked. "Are you crazy? If anyone found out you could get kicked off the team."

"Are you planning to tell anyone?" he asked.

"Of course not," I assured.

"Then who's going to know? You're the only person I've told."

I huffed, shaking my head.

"It's just this once. I didn't intentionally go out to sprain my ankle or anything. It really did happen on accident. But I could probably be back on the field in two or three days with no problems. I'm going to drag it out until after the weekend so I can see you perform."

"I can't believe you did this just to watch me perform in a concert. It's not like there won't be other concerts you can go to in the future."

"I want to go to this one." He smirked as he pulled me closer. "I do get to come, don't I?"

I bit my lip, trying not to smile. "I don't know if I want you there. You might embarrass me."

"Oh like you and Alice don't embarrass me and Jasper at every game you come to with all your cheering and shouting," he accused playfully.

I laughed, realizing he was right. "Do you want me to stop cheering you on?"

He sat up on the bed, wrapping his arms around my waist. His lips were inches away from mine. "Absolutely not." He pressed him lips to mine. I opened my mouth, allowing him to kiss me even fuller. I wrapped my arms around his neck. My fingers raked through his hair, making him hiss. He laid me down on the bed, hovering over me. His fingers brushed against my cheek as he looked down at me. He smiled, making me smile in return. His lips consumed mine once again. He traced my side with his hand. I felt the hem of my shirt ball up in his fist. I knew what he wanted. I arched my back and raised my arms giving him permission to remove my shirt. He slipped it over my head and off my arms. He traced his fingers down my exposed body. I pulled him closer, kissing him more. I pulled his shirt off and moved him to his back. He chuckled at my forcefulness. I straddled his lap, kissing across his chest and stomach. He groaned, pressing into me. I could feel how much he wanted me. I was so nervous though.

Just as I was unbuttoning his pants, there was a loud banging on my door. I jumped, almost screamed from the sudden noise. "Do we need to invest in some ear plugs?" Emmett asked through the door.

"Oh my God, Emmett," I shouted. My face fell into my hands in embarrassment.

I could hear him laughing through the door. "I'm just asking."

"It's fine, Emmett. We'll be quiet," Edward answered.

"Uh huh," Emmett teased as he walked away from my door. It was still early in the evening, so I'm sure they were all sitting in the living room making fun of us. I pulled myself off of Edward and rolled over on my back. He leaned up on his side, placing a hand on my stomach.

"It would have been the same way at my place. Although, at my place, it probably would have been worse," Edward assured. "It's probably a good idea if we stop anyway with my ankle injury. I don't want to fuck it up even more. I do want to get back out there on the field as soon as possible."

"I feel like an idiot now. You're the only guy I've ever had over to the house and both times we were interrupted by my brother. You must think I'm a complete moron for living with him."

"I don't think anything of the sort. I like you living with your brother. At least I know you're safe and not all by yourself somewhere."

I huffed. "My dad said almost the exact same thing when I told him I was moving in with Rose and Emmett."

He chuckled, pulling me closer in his arms. "I can't wait to meet your dad."

We laid in bed and watched a little TV. I wanted to talk to him about what James said, but I was afraid to.

"Are you sure I didn't have anything to do with your sprained ankle or the loss?" I blurted.

He flipped the TV off and sat up to look at me. "What are you talking about?"

I ducked my head, sighing heavily. "James stopped me in the kitchen at your house and told me again I was to blame. He said you need the good luck kiss to be able to play well. Is that true?"

He chuckled, wrapping me in his arms. "No. What helps me play is having you in my life. We were at away games for four days. We only lost the last one. If it had anything to do with you, we would have lost all of them. James is just a jerk, and he likes to rile people up. Don't listen to him, okay?" I nodded my head in acceptance.

"What about Victoria? Did something happen with her?" I questioned further.

"With James and her?" he asked for clarification.

"No, with _you_ and her," I explained.

"What gave you the impression something happened with me and Victoria?"

I shrugged, looking down at a spot on the bedspread. "I don't know. She just seems to not like me much. Every time I see her she glares at me, and I've never done anything to her. I feel like maybe she's jealous or mad at me for something."

"She's like that with everyone. She's a bitch all the time. Don't take it personal and please, please, don't ever think anything happened between me and Victoria. I would never want to have anything to do with her. I swear."

"Okay," I accepted. I laid down against his chest and fell fast asleep.

He stayed with me for the rest of the week. I barely let him leave the bed. He did need to make an appearance at the games during the week which I attended with Alice. Edward had to sit in the dugout and watch though. I could see it in his face how much he wanted to be back on the field playing. I tried to convince him to let the act go and miss the concert, but he refused. It made me even more nervous to play knowing he would be there. My dad was planning to come into the city to see the concert too. I had told my dad I was dating a new guy who played on the same team as Jasper. He was a little reserved about me dating a baseball player. He tried to tell me I was only setting myself up for heartbreak. I insisted he was wrong and he just needed to meet him to understand.

On the day of my concert, I was a nervous wreck. It was my first live show with the orchestra, and I was sure I was going to screw it up somehow. On top of that, Edward and my dad would be meeting for the first time.

Alice and Rose did everything in their power to calm my nerves. It didn't help. Edward held my shaky hand all the way to the concert hall. I had to be there three hours early to rehearse and set up. He dropped me off by the back door and helped me get my harp out of the back.

"You'll do fine, Bella," he encouraged. "I'll be watching with complete admiration, and I'll try not to embarrass you too much."

I laughed, trying to calm myself. "I need to get in there. I'll see you later tonight."

I leaned down, picking up my harp and walked towards the door.

"Bella," he called. I stopped and turned back around. He hobbled over to me, taking me in his arms. "I think you need a good luck kiss."

I smiled just as he leaned in to kiss me. It was amazing how much one little kiss from him could calm my nerves. He released me and went back to the car while I went through the back doors.

I took my position on the stage and got myself set up for rehearsal. Most of the members were already here getting set up as well. Most of them had been here for many years. There were only about five new members like me. They were all so nice though. It made it much easier to play with them when they were friendly and welcoming.

We rehearsed through the entire set before getting a small break to freshen up and rest a few minutes before the show.

Ten minutes before the curtain opened, we were all told to take our positions. The curtains opened and we were introduced. The conductor demanded attention and we began. We played a total of seven pieces, one of which was accompanied by a vocalist. It turned out so perfectly. I didn't mess up at all. It was so easy once I got started.

Afterward, we all congratulated each other on a successful show. I packed up my harp for the night and told everyone who was still lingering in the back goodbye. I wanted to see my friends and family. We were all planning to go out to dinner after the concert. In a way I was thankful because it would be awkward if it was just me, Edward, and my dad. At least this way, Emmett, Rose, and Alice would be there to take some of the awkwardness away.

I walked out to the hall to search for a familiar face.

"You were amazing," Edward whispered in my ear from behind. I whipped around with a huge smile on my face. He handed me this huge bouquet of red and white roses. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he picked me up in his arms, hugging me tightly.

"I sure hope you know this boy?" I heard my dad say from behind us. Edward placed me back on my feet so we could both face my dad.

"Hi, Dad, this is Edward," I introduced. "Edward, this is my dad, Charlie."

Edward extended his hand towards him. "It's good to finally meet you, Sir."

"Nice to meet you too, Son," my dad greeted. "I haven't heard much about you yet, so I'm hoping to hear more about you tonight."

"Anything you want to know, Sir."

"Here Bells, these are for you." He handed me yet another bouquet of flowers. They were a mixture of yellow and pink roses. "You were great up there. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad."

Moments later I saw Rose, Emmett, and Alice making their way through the crowd. They also had bouquets of flowers in their hands. Unfortunately, the flowers weren't what I noticed the most. Walking with them was my mother. My jaw dropped as she made her way towards me with extended arms.

She pulled me into her arms for a tight hug. I was not expecting to see my mom here. This was a complete shock.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"I wasn't going to miss my little girl's first professional concert. I flew in this morning to surprise you. I'm shocked Emmett was able to keep it from you so well," she said. "Or maybe you've been a little preoccupied to pay attention." She looked Edward over with a smile on her face. He was standing next to me with his arm still around my waist.

"Oh, Mom, this is Edward. The guy I was telling you about. Edward this is my mom, Renee."

Again, Edward extended his hand to greet my mother. "I didn't know you'd caught yourself such a handsome man, Bella."

"Mom," I whined.

"Oh come on, you had to know I was going to say something. He's gorgeous. You should be very proud." Why is it my mom can make an already awkward moment even more awkward? I wanted to melt into the floor.

"I picked him out, Mom," Emmett was sure to inform. I think he was prouder of this fact than he ought to be. She gave him a hug and giggled while thanking him for finding me such a great guy. I rolled my eyes and prayed Edward didn't think my family was nuts.

"Well, we all got you flowers too," Rose pointed out and thankfully changing the subject. "But I don't think any of these bouquets compare to the one Edward gave you."

I looked up at Edward who for a change looked to be the bashful one, not me.

"Should we go to dinner?" I suggested. "I'm starving." I hadn't eaten all day from my nervousness. Since it was over now, I wanted to eat.

We headed out to the cars and drove over to the restaurant we had reservations at.

The conversation through the night was mostly focused on Edward. My parents wanted to know everything. He obliged by answering every question they asked. By the end of the night, they both seemed pleased with who I was dating. I don't think it would have mattered even if they didn't. I wouldn't stop seeing him just because of them. I knew who Edward was and that's what mattered.

"Where's Jasper, Alice?" my dad asked.

"He had an away game tonight. He should be back in a couple days," she replied.

"Oh… didn't you say Edward played for the same team Jasper does?" he asked, staring at me for an answer.

"I sprained my ankle in a recent game and haven't been able to play the last few games. During this away game I had to stay home to see a physical therapist so they can approve my return to the field," Edward explained.

"I see. Well, it must be feeling better considering you were lifting my daughter up in the lobby of the concert hall."

I looked over at Edward with a concerned look. My dad wasn't stupid. He noticed everything which is why he was such a good cop.

Edward smiled, keeping his cool. "It is feeling much better. I probably could have played tonight, but you know how trainers and coaches are. They don't want you playing if there's even the slightest chance something worse can happen. I'm hoping they'll clear me for the next game."

My dad nodded his head in acceptance. It really wasn't any of his business, but I know my dad is going to run background checks on him if he hasn't already.

"How long are you staying, Mom," I asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, I wish I could stay longer, but I have to go back tomorrow afternoon," she answered. "We should go out to breakfast, just the two of us."

"Sure, Mom."

"I don't get breakfast?" Emmett complained. "You come all the way here just to see Bella? You do have a son, you know."

"You are such a baby," Rose accused, shaking her head.

"Don't worry, Emmett. I didn't come all this way to forget about you. Rose and I have already talked about what the three of us will be doing tomorrow afternoon before I leave."

"What are we doing?" he asked excitedly.

"It's a surprise, Baby," Rose replied. "You'll have lots of fun though. I'm sure of it."

We all talked a while longer over our meal and drinks. Eventually, my dad said he needed to head home. I felt bad knowing my dad wouldn't be getting home until well after midnight, but he assured me it was worth the drive to see me play. I gave him a hug goodbye, and Edward stood to his feet shaking his hand politely.

"Take care of my little girl," he instructed towards Edward.

I saw Edward smile proudly. "I plan to, Sir."

My dad nodded his head towards him before hugging everyone else and saying goodnight. He even gave my mom a hug which was nice to see. I was grateful their divorce didn't cause them to hate or be awkward around each other. They could be civil at least when they were around their kids.

"We should get going too," I announced. "I have all those flowers in the back of the car. I don't want them to die."

"Do you want us to come with you?" Alice asked.

"No, it's okay. Why don't all of you stay a little longer and visit with my mom?" I suggested. It was also the perfect opportunity for me and Edward to be alone. I wanted to be alone with him so badly.

Edward told everyone goodnight. My mom gave him a huge hug. I think he was a little taken aback by it. Edward guided me out to the car and helped me in. I wanted him to hurry back to the house, but I didn't want to seem too eager.

While he drove, I covertly rubbed my hand across his inner thigh just to give him a hint of what I wanted. He looked over at me with a crooked smile on his face. I was sure he pressed on the accelerator just a little harder. We pulled into my driveway a few minutes later. I gathered up all the bouquets of flowers and carried them into the house.

"I don't think I ever told you thank you for the flowers," I said, walking into the kitchen to retrieve all the vases I owned. "They're beautiful." I placed the flowers in the vases and carried them to the sink to fill with water.

Two strong arms wrapped around my waist, holding me tightly. "You're beautiful." I smiled, tilting my head while he nuzzled my neck. He left open mouthed kisses along my shoulder and neck. I moaned out loud at how good it felt. My arm wrapped up around his neck and my fingers ran through his hair. He pulled my tucked in shirt out of my pants and stuck his hand up inside my shirt. His finger lightly brushed against my covered nipple. My head fell back against his chest, and I let out another loud moan in ecstasy of his touch. In a flash, he whipped me around and sat me up on the countertop. I giggled in anticipation. I spread my legs far apart allowing him to stand in between them. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me to the edge of the counter. I had to wrap my legs around him tightly so I wouldn't fall. His lips consumed mine in an urgent kiss while he worked the clasp on my bra.

Just as he got the last clasp undone and his hands started to move to the front of my body, I heard my front door open.

"Shit," I whispered, pushing him away. I jumped off the counter and quickly snapped up my bra. I tucked in my shirt and soothed my hair back. I looked up at Edward's disappointed face. "I'm sorry." His fingers ran through his hair in frustration.

"We're going to need to do something about all these interruptions. All I want is ten minutes alone with you."

I gave him a chaste kiss on the lips, nodding my head in agreement. I led him around the corner and into the living room where my mom, Emmett, Rose, and Alice were walking in and getting settled. Alice gave me a sympathetic look. I think she knew they had interrupted something. I gave her a weak smile and shook my head.

The next morning, my mom and I went to breakfast alone. I didn't want to go. Edward was planning to go home today since his ankle was feeling much better and the physical therapist gave the okay to return to the team. I wanted to spend the day with him before he went back. But he insisted I spend the day with my mom since I don't see her very often.

My mom wanted to know every detail about Edward – how we met, where we went on our first date, if we were being safe. It was sort of embarrassing. It's not like I don't know how to take care of myself. Thankfully she had plans to meet Rose and Emmett at eleven, so breakfast didn't last too long. I ran a bunch of errands for the rest of the day before meeting my mom and brother at the airport to tell her goodbye. It was nice seeing my mom, but it was so hard telling her goodbye again. I hated that she moved so far away.

Alice and I attended every home game from then on. Even though Edward and I didn't have a lot of time to spend together because of our busy schedules, we still tried to see each other as much as we could. Sometimes it would only be a quick drive home after a game, but any small amount of time was worth it. I always waited for him to invite me in and stay for the night, but he never did. I know he didn't like his roommates a whole lot and we wouldn't have any privacy, but I liked it when he was staying with me. I liked waking up next to him in the mornings.

We had been dating for about two months when he asked me if I would be interested in going to an away game with him. They had back to back games up in Vancouver, Canada and he wanted me to come with him. It worked out perfectly with my schedule, so I agreed. Alice even decided to drive up with me to spend the weekend with Jasper.

Alice and I explored the city a little while Jasper and Edward had to prepare for their game. We did quite a bit of shopping and site seeing. We were having a blast. In the late afternoon, we headed to the baseball field for the game. Of course we were decked out in our team shirts and hats. We stood out around all the fans who were there to see their home team. It didn't stop Alice from cheering at the top of her lungs. I had to join in and cheer on our team too even if we ended up getting attacked after the game.

Edward and Jasper were doing amazingly well during the game. Edward was hitting homerun after homerun. He plays outfield and every fly ball that came his way, he caught with such ease. He looked so happy out there on the field. I was so proud of him. They won the game by eight points which was amazing. Alice and I were jumping up and down in excitement for them. After the game was over, we rushed down to the locker rooms to wait. When they came out of the locker rooms, Edward came rushing over to me and picked me up in his arms, swinging me around. I giggled as he started kissing me all over.

"You were amazing tonight," I congratulated.

"I'm never anything without you cheering me on," he pointed out, kissing me deeply. My legs were wrapped around him tightly as he continued to kiss me.

"Are we still planning to go to dinner or are you two skipping that step and heading straight to the hotel?" Alice asked. I pulled away from his lips and saw Alice smirking at us.

"We're coming to dinner," Edward answered. He placed me down on the ground, taking my hand and followed them out. We walked out to the car and drove across the city to a Mexican restaurant Alice saw earlier and wanted to try out. We were all laughing and having an excellent time at the restaurant. The food and drinks were really good too.

"I wonder if they have calamari here," Edward said, unexpectedly. He smirked while glancing over at me from the corner of his eye.

"No way!" I warned.

Edward chuckled, taking another drink of his margarita. "You might like it if they fry it," he suggested.

"I doubt it. I'd still know what it was and refuse to put it in my mouth."

"Oh come on, Bella. Where's your sense of adventure? A little head fried in a batter won't hurt you. It probably won't taste salty if it's fried either. I ate it, didn't I?"

"Are you saying you liked it?" I asked in horror. "I thought you only did it to have one up on me."

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Alice wondered curiously. We turned toward her, seeing both Alice and Jasper staring at us with raised eyebrows. We both busted out laughing. I think we were both a little drunk. We ended up explaining what happened on our first date. Both Jasper and Alice got a kick out of our little story and joined in on the laughing. After we were done eating, we walked around the city for awhile, enjoying the nightlife. We ended up in a club having even more drinks. I pulled Edward out on the dance floor, making him dance with me. I was rubbing up all over him which I could tell he enjoyed. His hands were all over me while we danced. Our kissing was even more passionate and hardcore than usual. Everything I was doing was so out of character for me. The liquid courage probably had a lot to do with the way I was acting. It felt good though.

Well after midnight, we finally headed back to the hotel. I knew Jasper and Edward would have to go to their hotel with the rest of the team, but I didn't want him to go. They walked Alice and I to our room and just as I was about to walk through the door, Edward grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Goodnight you two," Edward said to Alice and Jasper who were standing in the doorway of our hotel room. I stared up at him with a confused look. "We'll see you in the morning." Alice gave me a knowing look as she waved her fingers towards me and shut the door.

Edward began leading me down the hall. "Where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see."

We boarded the elevator once again and went up two more floors. He led me down the hall to a different room and opened the door. I stepped into the large room which was illuminated by the soft glow of lit candles. There was a massive window on one wall overlooking the bright city. It was breathtaking. I turned around, staring at him in confusion.

"I thought you might like it here," he timidly said. We're completely alone, with no possibility of interruptions."

I noticed the chocolate covered strawberries and bottle of champagne sitting on a tray on the king size bed. I smiled once it all came together in my mind. I walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. "As long as there isn't calamari on that platter with the strawberries, I absolutely love it."

He smiled, wrapping his arms around me and kissing me. He walked us over to the bed and sat me down on the edge. "Do you want a strawberry?" he asked. I shook my head. "What about some champagne?" I shook my head again. He took the tray and moved it to the table. He walked back over, standing directly in front of me. "What do you want then?"

I stood to my feet, placing my hands on his chest. My fingers traced down his stomach until I met his belt and removed it from the buckle. I looked up at his smoldering eyes as he watched what I did. "I want you."

He sighed heavily. "I was hoping you'd say that." In an instant his mouth was on mine. My fingers found their way into his hair, pulling and tugging on it. I wanted him right now. I didn't want to wait any longer. He pulled on my shirt and brought it up over my head and arms, dropping it to the floor in a heap. I did the same to his shirt and continued in on the button and zipper of his pants. I hooked my fingers around the edge of his jeans and pushed them down. I wanted them off. He clumsily worked on my bra clasp while he continued to kiss my neck, jaw, shoulders, and collarbone—anywhere his lips could touch bare skin they did. With every kiss on my body he let out a needful moan. It only stirred me on more. I was already so wet for him. I felt like I would combust at any moment. He struggled with undoing my bra, so he gave up and pulled down on the strap instead. He released one of my breasts from its confines, palming it with his hand. His breath was erratic as he squeezed and pinched at the nipple. I reached around my back to undo the bra for him. I wanted it off of me so he could touch me even more. His hands on my breasts and his hot, wet kisses against my body ignited a fire inside which needed to be put out. I removed my bra and watched as Edward leaned back for a moment to look me over.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on. God, how did I get so lucky to find you?" I smiled at his words, pressing my lips to his. He quickly unbuttoned my pants and removed them from me. I was left in only my panties which if I had it my way would have been removed as well. He grabbed my ass, lifting me up. My legs wrapped around his torso as he carried me the few feet to the bed. He laid us down on the pillows while I remained wrapped around him. His lips never parted from mine while he lay on top of me. In an instant, he sat up, looking down at me. His fingers circled my nipples, making them perk up. I bit my lip trying to hold in my moans. His thumb reached up and removed my lip from my teeth. "None of that," he warned. "I want to hear you enjoying this." I nodded my head vigorously and let out a shaky breath.

"You did bring condoms, right?" I asked nervously.

He chuckled. "Of course I did. There's nothing to worry about." He leaned down taking one nipple in his mouth and sucking it into his mouth hard. I cried out, making him suck even harder and bite down. I whimpered and dug my fingers into his scalp. He released my nipple and began a trail open mouth kisses down my stomach. His forefingers hooked around my panties and pulled them off of my legs. He pushed down on my knees, spreading me wide open. I could hear him sighing as he took in the sight. His fingers trailed across my slit, feeling my wetness. "Did you get this wet for me?" he asked. I whimpered in response. It was about all I could do at the moment. He fell back on top of me, leaning down to my ear. His teeth grazed against my neck and his tongue darted out licking my jaw. "Can I taste you?"

My hips bucked into him involuntary when he asked. "Oh God, yes. Please."

He chuckled as he moved down in between my legs. I felt his tongue press against my slit and lick upwards. I screamed and tightened my legs around his head. I'd never experienced anything like this before. It felt so amazingly good. He pressed on my thighs, making me relax my legs again.

"Bella, you have done this before right? I'm not taking your virginity am I?" he asked in a concerned tone.

"No, I've just never felt it like this before. I didn't know it could feel so good," I explained.

"I want you to feel good. I want this to be about your pleasure. Pleasuring you will make me extremely happy." Why did he have to say things like that? He leaned back down and sucked my clit into his mouth. Again, I screamed. He licked and sucked even harder, making me wriggle below him. I felt his fingers lightly brush against my entrance. I wanted him to push his fingers inside of me. Just as my mind was thinking about what I wanted him to do, he did it. Slowly, a finger slid inside. Even though he told me not to, I bit my lip to hide my screams. I heard him moaning as his fingers pumped in and out of me and he licked across my clit. This was the most wonderful feeling I'd ever experienced in my life. I didn't think it could get any better than this. I was wrong. His fingers curled inside of me making me come undone. I let out a long and loud moan of pleasure. I looked up at his face seeing the most glorious smile on his face. He looked so proud. I wanted to make him feel good too. I sat up on the bed, kissing across his chest and neck. He sighed and pulled me into his lap. He left wet kisses across my collarbone and on my breast. I felt him brush up against me, silently asking for permission to enter, but I wasn't ready for him to just yet.

I moved him around and made him lie down on the bed. I took a deep breath, contemplating if I really wanted to do this. I'd never done it before and really had no idea what I was doing. I'd heard Alice and Rose talk about it enough though. It didn't seem like it would be too hard. I looked down at his hard dick and took it in my hand. His breath caught in his lungs as he bucked into my hand. I sucked in one last breath before leaning down and licked across the small slit. "Oh God," he breathed. "Bella, you can't do that shit to me."

"I want to," I assured. He sucked in a few labored breaths, looking down at me. "Just…" I began timidly, biting my lip. "Can you not come inside my mouth? I don't know if I can do that."

He laughed, brushing my cheek with his fingers. "Believe me, I have no intention of coming inside your mouth. I want to be inside of you before I do." I nodded my head and leaned back down, taking the head inside my mouth. He sighed and moaned while I took him further into my mouth. I had to concentrate on what I was doing so I wouldn't gag. I hoped all the moaning he was doing was a good thing, but I really didn't know. I felt the back of his hand brush through my hair and press into the back of my head. He bucked his hips up into me while pressing down on my head. I gagged a few times, but it wasn't too bad. I swirled my tongue around the head one last time before releasing him from my mouth. I looked up seeing the happy smile plastered on his face. I had a sense of pride rush through me. "You are so amazing," he breathed. "God, I'm the luckiest man on earth."

"I doubt that," I countered with a giggle. He sat up on the bed, wrapping his arms around me.

"I beg to differ. You are the complete package," he insisted.

"I think you're a little biased." He shook his head, disagreeing with what I said.

"I thought you didn't like putting things with a head or things tasting like salt in your mouth." He smiled and raised an eyebrow playfully.

"I like the way you taste." I leaned into his ear, flicking my tongue against his earlobe. "I have a confession though," I whispered. "You are the first guy I've ever done that to." He groaned at my words, tightening his grip around me. I squealed as he flipped me over on the bed and laid me down on my back. He reached over to the drawer and pulled out a foil wrapper. He ripped it open and slid the condom on. He lined himself up and rubbed against my slit.

"If you want me to stop at any time, just tell me. I don't want to hurt you," he requested.

"Don't worry," I begged. "I'll be fine. I don't want you to stop. I want you."

He slowly pressed inside of me, breathing rapidly with every inch he pushed inside. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths so I could relax and take him in fully. Edward moved in and out of me at a slow and steady pace. After the first couple thrusts, it started to feel so good. This is what I had heard it should be like.

"Oh God, Bella," he breathed. "You feel so good." I whimpered at his words. I wanted to tell him how good he felt too, but words would not come out. My legs wrapped around him and my fingers laced through his hair. He leaned over me, sucking on my breasts and kissing across my chest. I moaned and let out a sharp breath as he pumped harder and faster into me. "Bella." I knew he was close by the look on his face and the grunting way he said my name. I tightened my muscles around him, making him convulse and moan loudly and long. "Come with me, baby. I can't come without you."

"I'm close," I whined. "Oh God, Edward." He sat up, spreading my legs out farther. He hummed as he rubbed my clit with his thumb. The thrusting slowed, instead pushing in deeper as his thumb circled and pinched my clit.

"Come for me, Bella," he said through clenched teeth. I closed my eyes, letting my entire body feel him. It only took a couple more deep thrusts to make it happen. I moaned so loud, I'm sure the people in the room next to us could hear. Edward collapsed on top of me, groaning as he thrust a few more times and letting his own orgasm takeover. His heavy breathing slowly subsided while he let out pleased moans and continued to kiss my body. I giggled with every sweet kiss he left on my body. I was in a completely euphoric trance at the moment. Everything about tonight was perfect. It's exactly what I wanted with him.

"You were amazing," I appreciated. "God, you have no idea how good that felt."

He smiled smugly at me. "Do you know how much I love hearing that you enjoyed it? I was actually worried I would hurt you."

I shook my head vigorously. "You are cocky, aren't you?" I teased.

He laughed. "I am not."

I nodded my head. It's okay though. You can be cocky all you want. I want to do it again."

He chuckled before leaning down to kiss me. "That can definitely be arranged."

We fooled around for a while longer and had sex one more time. God, I loved having sex with him. If we could stay here in this room forever, I totally would. Alas, we did need to get sleep. He had a game the next day, and I would need to head home.

In the morning, I was awoken by his gentle kisses against my shoulder and arm. I smiled, remembering what we shared the night before. "Mmmm, good morning," he whispered.

I rolled over, looking up into his beautiful face. "Good morning." He leaned down, giving me a tender kiss on the lips.

He laid back on his back, pulling me into his arms. I laid against his chest, feeling content in where I was. "Bella?" he questioned. I hummed in response. I was still partially asleep. "Would you think I was crazy if I told you I love you?" He paused for a moment, waiting for me to answer.

"No."

"It's not just because of the sex either. I think I've loved you since our first date. Maybe even before. I don't want you freaked out by it though. If I'm moving too fast, please just say so," he rambled on and on. I finally had to lean up and place my finger against his lips to get him to stop.

I looked deep in his eyes, smiling at his innocent looking face. "I'm not freaked out by anything," I assured. "I love you too." He smiled against my fingers and wrapped his arms around me. The next thing I knew, I was being flipped over and kissed passionately. I sighed and moaned as our kissing became more urgent. My fingers found their way into his hair and my leg wrapped around his back. I giggled as he flicked his finger against my nipple a couple times.

For a moment he stopped. He leaned up on his hands and just stared down at me with a strange look on his face. I smiled nervously and leaned up to give him a couple pecks on the lips. He didn't respond in anyway. I didn't know what was wrong with him.

"Marry me?"

"What?" I asked with a slight squeal in my voice.

"Marry me?" he asked again. I swallowed hard against the dry feeling in my mouth. Was he serious? "I know it's sudden, but I also know I'm never going to love anyone more than I love you. I know this is right, and I don't want to wait."

"Edward," I said with a regretful sound to my voice.

"I'm not the type of person to wait for what I want. Life is too short to wait for the right moment. I go after what I want and I want you…forever.

I sighed, unable to come up with an answer. I can't marry him so suddenly. I know I love him, but we've only been dating for a short time. My family and friends would think I was crazy and probably forbid me from going through with it.

"Just think about it okay. You don't have to answer me until you're ready. It won't change anything no matter what you decide. I'll wait if I have to, but I don't want to."

I nodded my head in acceptance. I really didn't know what to say to him. We got up a few minutes later and got ready for the day. Jasper and Edward had to go to the gym to work out before the game later. Alice and I headed home a few short hours later. I was distracted the entire drive home and Alice kept asking me what was wrong. I insisted I was fine, but I wasn't. Edward's proposal was huge, and I didn't know what to do. I wanted to talk to Alice about it and get her advice, but I knew what she would say. She'd tell me I was crazy for even considering it and probably have words with Edward. Then she'd tell my brother and all hell would break loose. Emmett might like Edward at the moment, but if he knew he wanted to marry me so soon, he'd have a change of heart.

Regardless of what my family and friends thought, I didn't feel like I was ready to marry him. I wasn't ready to get married at all. Things were just beginning with Edward, and I didn't want anything to change. I know he has this need to do everything before it's too late which I think has a lot to do with his parent's death. But he shouldn't live that way. He needs to not fear something horrible is going to happen so he has to do it all right away. In the future we can get married. After we have succeeded in what we both want first. Right now isn't the right time. But then again, when is it going to be the right time? Knowing this is how he feels and what he wants isn't going to change just because I tell him I'm not ready. He's still going to want it and be waiting around for me to accept. I don't know maybe he'll even start asking me obsessively until I either give in or get fed up with it and break up with him. I didn't want either of those things. I wanted our relationship to be simple.

I spent the next couple days avoiding everyone, including Edward. I still wasn't ready to face him. Instead, I spent long hours at the concert hall rehearsing and preparing for new concert pieces. Edward called me every day but I didn't answer.

It had been nearly a week since I last talked to him. After spending most of the day at the concert hall rehearsing with a few other members of the orchestra, I headed towards home. I knew Edward had a game tonight and everyone was planning to go. I needed to find an excuse why I couldn't go. I turned on my phone and saw I had sixteen missed calls. Who called me sixteen times? I looked at my caller ID and saw each of them was from Edward. He has never called me that many times in one day. Something had to be wrong. I called him back and he answered before it even finished with the first ring.

"Edward, are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah," he sighed.

"You called me sixteen times. I've been in rehearsal all day. What's going on?"

"Have you been in rehearsals all week? Do you ever get time off anymore?" he asked.

"Of course I do. I just have a lot to prepare for. We're working on adding three new pieces to our set and it's been my main focus."

"You couldn't find a few minutes to call me and let me know this?"

"Edward, don't do this. I don't want to fight with you. I'm sorry I haven't called you back. I haven't done much of anything but practice. Being a part of this orchestra is hard work. If I want to keep my place, I have to dedicate my life to it. You of all people should understand what that's like."

"I've always made time for you though. I never ignored you."

"I'm not ignoring you. I just need time to think," I admitted.

"To think about what I asked? Bella I don't want you to think about it if this is what's going to happen. I don't want to lose you. I need you."

I closed my eyes, pausing for a long time while I tried to figure out what to say to him. I missed him too, but the proposal would always be hanging over me.

"I was told today the Mariners are interested in me joining the team. If I do, it means my dreams of becoming a professional ballplayer are coming true."

"That's great Edward. I'm so happy for you."

"It doesn't mean anything without you. As soon as I found out, the only person I wanted to share it with was you. I would never be offered this without you."

"Right, because of the good luck kisses," I agreed. "I've heard some of the rituals the ballplayers have. Some wear the same socks all season or have to touch a certain spot in the locking room before every game. Isn't there one guy who's been chewing the same piece of gum at every game? It's the same thing, right? At every game you get a good luck kiss and it helps you play better."

"No, it's not because of the good luck kiss. It's because of you. You make me happy, Bella. For the first time in forever I'm truly happy. That's why I've been playing so well. It's not because of some superstition. It's because of you."

There was silence for a long moment.

"Look Bella, I know I fucked up by asking you to marry me. I know now it was the wrong thing to do. I was just caught up in the moment, and I blurted it out. I had no idea the outcome would be losing you forever. I can't lose you. Please, just forget I said anything. Forgive me for making a huge mistake and come back to me."

"You didn't lose me, Edward. I'm still here for you."

"But not the way I want you to be."

"I just need time to think," I pleaded. "I need to figure out what it is I want before I make any long term decisions."

"Okay. I'll give you all the time you need. It won't change anything. I'll still love you just as much as I do right now."

I wanted to tell him I loved him too because I really do love him. But the words wouldn't come out the way I wanted them to.

"I have a home game tonight. I would really like it if you were there. You don't have to give me any good luck kisses or even talk to me at all. I'd just like to see you there."

"I'll try to come," I promised.

We hung up shortly after and I cried all the way home. I could hear it in his voice how hurt he was. I hated myself for hurting him. I got home just as Alice did. She was rushing around the house to get ready for the game. I told her I wasn't going because I had too much work to do. She knew I was lying though.

We sat down on the bed and everything came spilling out. I told her about the proposal and about our conversation today. She stared at me in disbelief. She couldn't understand why I hadn't told her sooner.

"What are you going to doing?" she asked.

"I don't know. That's the problem. I don't know what to do. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. If I say yes, am I ready for it, or am I only doing it to appease him? Will I be happy with the decision? If I say no, he's going to be upset and it'll only push us apart."

"He's a great guy, Bella. It's obvious he loves you. Why wouldn't you want to marry him? He's moving up to the majors too. Do you know how much major league ballplayers make in a year?" she reminded.

"This has nothing to do with money, Alice," I chastised.

"I know it doesn't. You aren't the type of person to marry someone because of money. You make excellent money yourself being in the orchestra," she pointed out. "All I'm saying is you should do what you feel is right in your heart. If he truly loves you the way he says he does, he'll respect your decision. From what you've told me of Edward, it shouldn't matter if it's now or five years from now. He loves you and only wants to spend the rest of his life with you, which you can do whether you're married or not. A piece of paper isn't going to change that. I'm not saying you should go off and get married just because it's a piece of paper because in reality, it is a binding contract to put it bluntly. All I'm saying is I think you're making a big deal out of nothing. Just tell him how you feel. He will still love you."

"If it was Jasper who asked you to marry him, what would you say?" I wondered.

"I'd say lets hop the next plane to Vegas," she joked, making me laugh.

"Bella, do you love Edward?" she asked with a serious tone.

I nodded my head. "I do."

"Then don't stress about this. Just talk to him. He'll understand."

I gave her a hug thanking her for her advice. She left for the game a few minutes later. I considered going with her, but my face was a mess from crying and I needed to figure out what exactly to say to Edward. Alice was right about everything. Whatever decision I made was not going to change the fact that I love him and he loves me. We could figure this out. I just needed to talk to him. I splashed my face with some cold water before looking at myself in the mirror. I realized how stupid I've been. Here I am with this amazing guy, who would do absolutely anything for me, and I was worried about marrying him. Any woman in her right mind would be stupid not to marry him. He's handsome, he's smart, he's funny, and he's extremely sweet and caring. He's what every girl dreams of. Why shouldn't I marry him? It doesn't matter if I marry him now or later on in life. I am always going to love him.

I grabbed my purse and headed towards the front door. If I hurried I might be able to talk to him for a few minutes before the game started. I opened the door only to come face to face with Victoria. I was shocked to say the least. I've never talked to her much. I didn't even know she knew where I lived. What was she doing here?

"Hi, Victoria," I greeted. "I was just heading to the game."

"I don't think so," she replied with an angry tone. My stomach tightened and my heart started pounding. Something was wrong.

In a flash, she grabbed my arm, pushed me back into the house and shut the door. I didn't have a moment to even comprehend what was happening. I felt a poke of a needle hit my arm. Within seconds, I was falling to the ground. I was completely paralyzed from the neck down. I could still move my head and talk in a small voice, but whatever she put in the syringe made me numb.

"Victoria, what are you doing to me?" I begged.

"Shut up!"

"Please, I don't know why you're doing this."

Seconds later I heard footsteps walk towards me on the floor. Standing over me was James. He looked down at me with a devious smile on his face. All I could do was cry. What were they planning to do to me?"

"This is perfect," he laughed. "You did good, babe." I watched as he kissed Victoria passionately. Victoria giggled as if she was proud of herself for pleasing James. "This will break Edward's little heart."

"Why are you doing this to me?" I asked through my tears. I was sure they were going to kill me. There was no way they wouldn't. They had to know they would get in trouble for this.

James leaned down next to me and brushed a strand of hair out of my face. I tried to jerk my head away from him. "I have come so close to getting what I want and then some snot-nosed brat comes along and rips it out of my grasp. I'm not letting it happen again. Edward will never make it in the majors if he doesn't have his good luck charm. I'm getting rid of his luck."

"I'm not though. He told me himself, it's not me," I tried to explain. He only laughed at me.

"Victoria, get the gun."

"You're going to shoot me?" I cried.

He laughed again. "No, I'm not going to shoot you… at least not here. This numbing stuff is going to wear off soon. We're going to walk out of here and down to the car. You're not going to make a sound. If you do, I may be forced to kill you."

Victoria came back in the room and handed James a gun. They circled around me like vultures while they waited for me to move again. Mentally, I was trying to think of any possible scenario to get away. I was beginning to get feeling in my hands again, but I remained as still as possible. Maybe if I pretended I couldn't move for longer, someone would come by. Although, everyone I knew who might possibly stop by is at the game. There was no way of escaping them. I was going to die. Edward would be heartbroken just like James said and he would lose his place on the team.

"You should have feeling by now. Get up!" James ordered, yanking me up by my arm. I stumbled to find my feet again. My entire body felt like mush. "Like I said, we're going to walk out of here and you're going to get in the car. You are not to make a sound."

He passed me off to Victoria who was donning a short dark haired wig. It reminded me of Alice's hair. James left the room for a moment and when he returned he had on a wig and clothing just like Jasper normally wears. It was all coming together in my mind.

"You're planning to set Jasper and Alice up for this?" I asked, crying even more.

James laughed even more. "You are a smart girl, Bella. It's the perfect crime. Edward is moving up to the majors and his closest friend on the team gets jealous. Jasper has access to your home and Alice of course, the devoted girlfriend would help him. Any neighbors we see while we walk out will think we're Alice and Jasper. They will be the perfect witnesses."

"What about the game though. Alice and Jasper are both at the game right now. The timeline won't match up. They'll figure out it's you," I promised.

He laughed again. "Oh Bella, I wish you paid more attention. At the moment, Jasper and Alice were accidently locked in a storage room at the stadium. It's a place they go before every game to… have a little fun. They'll never know I'm the one who locked them in. No one will believe them after all the evidence I've set up is found anyway."

"What about you? Aren't you missing from the game also? How are you going to explain that?"

"I'm currently with my trainer, Laurent, having my knee looked over. Of course Victoria is right by my side giving me support. Laurent is more than willing to give me the perfect alibi."

"Edward won't believe it. He knows Alice and Jasper would never hurt me."

"Are you sure about that? How well does Edward really know Alice? He doesn't even know Jasper very well. How well do any of you truly know Jasper? From what I've heard your brother was even a little concerned about you dating Edward, correct? I'm sure finding out Jasper killed you because of jealousy over Edward would not be a surprise to your brother. Don't worry, Bella, I've planned this out to a T. There's no way it'll fail."

"I guess you didn't think about me then," I heard Rose say from the doorway. We all turned in her direction. I suddenly became scared for her. If they were planning to kill me, there was no reason not to kill her too. Victoria ran towards her in an attempt to grab her, but Rose punched her in the face. Victoria fell to the ground in a heap. The wig she was wearing went flying off her head. Rose reached for her phone and began dialing a number.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," James said, pointing the gun at her. She stopped for a moment and glared at him.

"Rose, please do what he says. Don't get yourself killed," I begged. James grabbed me by the hair and pulled me into his arms. He pointed the gun at my head, warning Rose to put the phone down. I screamed in fear. I was sure I was going to die any moment. In a rush of arms and fists, I fell to the ground. I turned around to see what was happening. My brother and Edward had overtaken James and had him held to the ground. Rose was calling the police. Emmett pushed the gun across the floor. Edward would not stop punching James in the face. He became almost barbaric. I could see the anger in his eyes. He was going to kill James unless someone stopped him.

"Edward, stop!" Emmett yelled, trying to push him away. "Edward!"

I pulled myself across the floor and put my arms around him. "Please, stop," I pleaded with him. "If you kill him, you'll lose everything. Let him go."

Edward let out a strangled breath and released him. He turned around to look at me. He placed his hands on each side of my face and gently brushed the tears away. "Are you okay?" he asked, beginning to calm.

I nodded my head. "I'm fine. Are you okay?"

He pulled me into his arms and held me so tightly. "I'm so sorry. I should have been here to protect you." His voice was full of regret.

"Edward it's not your fault. You couldn't have known what he was planning." I pulled away and looked between the three of them curiously. "How _did_ you know? Why aren't you all at the game?"

The police showed up and started rushing into the house with guns drawn before anyone could answer my question. We explained what happened to the police and what James was planning to do. They took both James and Victoria into custody. I suddenly remembered what he said about Alice and Jasper. A police officer escorted all of us to the baseball field to find them. Police were everywhere and they had to stop the game for a little while. No one was allowed to leave the stadium until they were found. Police searched every storage room in an attempt to find them. Finally, after about twenty minutes of searching, they were found. They were sweating profusely and were both a little dehydrated from being trapped in the small room with no air conditioning. Paramedics looked them over and said if they were trapped in that room for much longer they quite possibly could have died from heat exhaustion.

Edward would not leave my side the entire time paramedics checked me out. I kept insisting I was fine, but they wanted me to go to the hospital anyway since they didn't know what it was Victoria injected me with.

"Edward go play the game," I ordered.

"No, I'm going to the hospital with you. I'm not leaving your side," he rejected.

"I'll be fine. My brother and Rose will be with me. Jasper and Alice will be at the hospital too. Everything will be fine. Just go play and prove to everyone you deserve to move up to the majors."

"Bella," he began to argue.

I placed my hand on his cheek. "Do this for me. After the game you can come to the hospital and we can talk." He sighed and stared at me with unsure eyes. I smiled and leaned in to give him a kiss. His arms looped around me as our kiss became more passionate. When I pulled away, I could tell his worry was subsiding a little. "You have your good luck kiss. Now go show them how great you are." He smiled and brushed my cheek with the back of his hand.

"I love you, Bella." He said it so quietly and almost in fear I almost wasn't sure what he said.

"I love you too. Now go," I ordered. He stood to his feet, taking my hand in his and kissing my knuckles before he pulled away and started walking towards the field.

"Edward," I called. He stopped and turned around. "My answer is yes." He stared at me with a confused look on his face. It took him a minute to get it, but once he did he smiled. They closed the ambulance doors just as I smiled back at him.

Later in the evening, Rose and Emmett explained how they became worried when they couldn't find Jasper or Alice. Edward was concerned about me, because I wasn't at the game. He begged Emmett to go check on me but once they realized we were all missing they knew something was wrong. They never expected to find what they did though. I was just grateful someone came to my rescue. If they hadn't come, I would have died and most likely Alice and Jasper would have died too.

The doctors flushed out my system with fluids to get out the poison I'd been given, and I had to stay overnight so they could monitor me. I really just wanted to go home, but the doctor told me if everything was fine in the morning I could go.

When Edward walked in a few hours later, Rose and Emmett covertly left the room to give us some privacy. He sat down next to me and took my hand in his.

"How did the game go?" I asked.

He chuckled and shook his head. "You shouldn't care about the game right now. You need to get better."

"I'm fine, really. They're just flushing my system out and monitoring me. Now how did the game go?"

"It went well," he finally informed me. "We won by six runs. I had a couple homerun hits." He paused for a moment before continuing. "It was hard to focus knowing you were in here though. I wanted to be here with you."

"You could have been kicked off the team and definitely lost your spot with the Mariners if you left the game. I'm surprised they let you play even after you missed the first half due to saving me."

"The coaches were all pretty understanding. Even the guy from the Mariners who came to watch me play understood why I left, but he was glad I came back."

"I'm glad they understood. Have you heard anything about your possible move to the majors?" I wondered.

"I have a try-out next week."

"I'm so proud of you," I said, giving him a hug.

"Did you hear anything about James and Victoria? They are going to be in jail for a while, right?" he asked, changing the subject.

"James could get up to ten or fifteen years in prison. Victoria's time will probably be about the same since she is the one who drugged me," I informed nervously. "I have to go testify against them. I'm scared though."

He crawled up on the bed and held me close. "You don't need to be scared. I'll keep you safe. He won't ever come near you again. I promise. I'll hire you a bodyguard if I have to."

I laughed at his suggestion. Even though it sounded a little crazy, it still didn't sound like such a bad idea. I nestled into his chest while he soothed my hair back.

"Bella," he began. "Were you serious about saying yes?"

I leaned up to look at his face and smiled. "Yes. I want to marry you. I don't want to wait. I know I love you, and I know you love me. To me, that's all that matters. When James kept saying he was going to kill me all I thought about was you. I thought about how this would affect you and how you wouldn't be able to go on without me. I thought about how I would feel if it were reversed. I don't think I could ever deal with losing you. I don't want to lose you. I know now, you are where I belong. I'm not going to let a fear of marriage take that away from me."

"Bella, we don't have to get married. If you aren't ready we can wait. I'm not going anywhere. You won't lose me, I promise."

"Still, I want to marry you. I do. But, maybe we can just have a long engagement," I suggested. "I mean, if you do move to the majors here soon it's going to be a longer season and more time apart. We're only going to have a small window of time to go on a honeymoon. I want the honeymoon. It's the only time we'll ever have any privacy."

He laughed and leaned in to kiss me. "So you're seriously saying yes?" he asked for clarification.

"Yes, I want to marry you."

"Then I think I need to do this right." He crawled off the bed and kneeled down on one knee. I couldn't keep the smile off my face or the tears from beginning to sting my eyes. He pulled a small box from his pocket and held it out in front of me. "Isabella Swan," he began. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes," I accepted excitedly. He slipped a small gold ring with an oval shaped diamond on my finger.

"This was the same ring my dad asked my mom to marry him with," he explained. "After they died, my grandma gave me their wedding bands and my mom's engagement ring. She said I might need them someday. I guess she was right."

I stared down at the ring as tears flowed down my cheeks. I couldn't believe he'd given me his mother's ring. This was so special, I almost wasn't sure I could accept it.

"If you don't like it, we can always go to a jeweler and you can pick out what you want," he suggested. I looked up at him, seeing the worry in his face.

"No, I love it. It's just so special, and I don't know if I deserve it."

"I think if my mom was ever able to meet you, she'd be more than happy to know I gave her ring to you. My mom would have loved you."

I took a deep breath, wiping at my tears. "We're really engaged? We're really going to go through with it?" I questioned.

"I sure hope so," he laughed.

"We are. We're getting married," I assured.

He nodded his head. "We're getting married."

I giggled and wrapped my arms around his neck. I suddenly had this rush of anticipation and excitement run through me. I couldn't wait to be married to him. This felt right.

"So… how do you feel about giving my grandparents some great-grandkids," he wondered. The excitement and happiness were replaced with fear. I pulled away and stared at him with wide eyes. He began to laugh hysterically. "I'm only kidding. I'm not ready to be a father yet." I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding in. "Someday though, right?"

"I can deal with someday. Just not right now," I informed.

"No, not right now," he agreed.

He crawled back on the bed and held me close to him while we discussed where we would go on our honeymoon. I didn't care where we went as long as we were together and alone.

**The End**

**I really don't have any plans to continue this story as of now. However, the way my brain works there is always a chance I might. It just won't be any time soon.**


End file.
